


What Once Was Lost

by SpaceButterflies



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Elements but not enough to be canon divergent, Dark Fantasy, Established Relationship, F/M, Falling In Love, I'm a sucker for a happy ending - Freeform, Kind of Vauge Refrences to Tales of Berseria, Lailah is such a mom, M/M, Magic Forests, Non-Graphic Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Rating May Change, Sheperds and the Lord of Calamity aren't a thing but Hellions and Seraphim are, because i can't bring myself to end it on a sad note, eventual Rose/Alisha on the side, eventual breakups, i can't write action scenes i'm so sorry, i don't know how seraphic rebirth works so i went with what i saw of it in berseria, of a major character so i marked it, oh boy, things got a little steamy in chapter five
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-02-11 02:09:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 34,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12925086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceButterflies/pseuds/SpaceButterflies
Summary: "Are you alright?"Sorey stares up at the young man who had saved him in disbelief. He pushes himself up onto his elbows, examining the other. He looked exactly like him, only his hair was silver rather than the brown he remembers. No. It couldn't be. Could it? "Mik...Leo?"Mikleo has been dead for ten years.





	1. Prologue

The Human World and the World of the Seraphim were one in the same, but still separate. They were separated only by a thin veil hidden in various locations throughout the world, where Earth pulses were the largest. The mystical dwellers of the realm of the Seraphim could easily pass through it, and it was only visible to humans once every hundred years, when the moon paints the sky red.

One such veil was hidden deep within a forest. The earth pulse that ran through it was very strong, one of the strongest in the world, and was believed to be the vessel of one of the Five Lords, Maotelus thousands of years ago, and the land blessed. 

To the people of Camlann, a village just outside of the forest provided them with trees for wood, and they would plant new trees in the place of those cut down, to ensure that the forest would continue to live on for years to come. Wild game, such as prickleboar, deer, and wild turkey were plentiful. A river of pure clean water ran through the forest and through the town, providing them with fresh water and plenty of fish. But still, the forest was a dangerous place. The forest was so dense that it was very easy to loose your way. Many lives were claimed by the forest over the years. Only hunters were permitted to enter, and we to never stray to far from the path. Children were forbidden from entering, as they rarely came back. 

Unknown to the people outside the forest, the forest was aware of what it was doing, as it was truly alive. For each life it claimed, it would take the both body and soul, and reform it into something new. Tree's and other plant life were created from the bodies, and animals were born from the soul, however, depending on how their previous life was lived, horrible creatures known as hellions were reborn in their place, aimlessly wandering about and ready to attack whatever crosses their path. On very rare occasion, a new Seraph was born. No matter how they were reborn, each human to be claimed by the forest, lost all memories of their past, and were entirely a new being.

Stories of monsters were often told to the village children, to keep them from wandering into the forest. They worked for the most part, but there were still some children who just had to see it for themselves, despite their parents warnings. Such is the case for four friends, who all decided to venture into the forbidden forest one snowy winter morning.

 

"As long as the village is still insight, we should be okay!" A seven year old boy named Sorey says. He turns to face his friends with a wide smile. His smile becomes a frown when he sees the conflicted looks on two of their faces. "What's wrong?"

"We're gonna get in trouble..." Sorey's best friend, Mikleo, mumbles. The eight year old pulls his scarf up to his chin, looking back towards his house. "Maybe we shouldn't go..."

"Y-Yeah!" The girl beside him, Alisha nods her head, her pony tail bouncing as she does. "What if there really are monsters?"

"If there are any monsters, then I'll throw rocks at them until they go away!" A girl named Rose declares pumping her gloved fist in the air. "Right, Sorey?"

"Right!"

 

The four friends hike far into the forest, using a fallen tree as a makeshift bridge to get across the river, and following after a squirrel to see where it went. Mikleo kept glancing over his shoulder at the village, the trees were thick and hard to see through, but he could still make out the shapes of houses in the distance, Their footprints were starting to be filled in by the falling snow. Even though Rose was the oldest at ten years old, she was just as reckless as Sorey, so, as the second oldest he became the more responsible one of the bunch. He has to run to catch back up with Sorey, grabbing onto his hand as to not lose him again.

"We should go back." He says.

"But we just got here!" Sorey protests. "Just a little further," He turns back to the village. "Until we can only see the chimney smoke, okay?"

"But, Sorey--" Mikleo pleads with him. "The grown ups are gonna come looking for us, and we're gonna get in trouble! And it's snowing harder!"

"But..." Sorey looks to Rose and Alisha, they had gone on ahead of them and were waiting a good distance away. He looks back to Mikleo. "Do you really wanna go home?"

"Yeah..." He gives a small nod. "But... I can go by myself!" He suddenly declares. "The girls need someone to look out for them, and I don't want to spoil anyone's fun."

"Are you sure?'

"Yeah." He nods again. "I'll keep watch for the grown ups and tell them we're playing hide and seek." 

Sorey gives him a wide grin, showing off where he was missing a tooth. "Alright! See you later!" He lets go of Mikleo's hand and runs off to catch up with Rose and Alisha. He stops once he reaches them, turning back to wave Mikleo off before they continue their journey.

 

When the trio returned to Camlann, they were greeted with tight hugs from their parents and a were scolded for wandering into the forest. Sorey's attention is pulled away from his mother when Mikleo's mother approaches him.

"Where's Mikleo?" She asks. "He's not with you?"

The boy blinks. "No...?" He tilts his head in confusion. "He wanted to go home, so he did." He see Muse's eyes widen, but before he can ask what's wrong, his mother lifts him from the ground. 

Everything happens quickly, Mikleo's uncle, Micheal and other men from the village hurry into the forest, armed with lanterns, guns, and axes. All of them ignoring the nagging feeling that it was already too late. But it had only been a few hours. They still had a chance to find him and bring him home. During their search, the falling snow became a snow storm, forcing them to turn back and go home or face freezing to death. 

 

"Muse--" Micheal calls after his sister. She had grabbed his gun and lantern, and was marching off towards the forest. "Muse!" He grabs her.

"Let me go!" She pleads. "He's lost, and scared, I have to find him!" She's forced to face her brother.

"You'll die out there." He says. His sister stares at him with anger. She drops the gun and lantern suddenly, and bursts into tears. He pulls her close, holding her tight as she sobbed into his chest, and he looks to the forest with teary eyes.

The forest has claimed another life.

 

The Fire Seraph Lailah watches as snow falls from the moonless night sky, a small smile on her face. She loved watching it snow, the way it would fall to the ground, and how each tiny snowflake was unique in it's own way, it all simply enthralled her. Her shoulders become tense when she senses a small, weak domain. A serious look crosses her face and she goes to investigate. She treks through deep snow that came up past her ankles, and the domain becomes slightly stronger as she gets closer. At first she sees nothing, but then the source of the domain enters her line of sight.

A Seraph in the form of a small boy with pale silver hair stares at the ground with lavender eyes. She smiles kindly at the Seraph, a new born if she had to guess and walks up to him. She crouches down, and tilts her head, her long hair dragging in the snow. He wasn't fully aware of his surroundings yet, that much was clear to her, but he seemed to notice her, as he raises his head to meet her eyes.

She stands up straight suddenly, and looks to the pile of snow, the younger Seraph following her gaze. She hesitates for a moment, but flicks her wrist, sending a small flame to it, melting enough of it away to reveal the child beneath it. Cautiously, she approaches the child, proving her suspicions to be true when she finds that he was frozen. She takes the scarf around his neck between her fingers, running her thumb over the name sewn into it. Pain stabs her in the chest, as her heart aches for the young life stolen away by the winter weather. She knew there was a human village near the forest, so it was only logical to assume the poor dear had gotten lost and was unable to bear the cold. 

Lailah closes her eyes, silently praying for the child's family. She then looks to the Seraph, and a small, sad smile on her face, and she crouches down again, gently brushing the hair from his face. 

"Why don't you come with me?" She extends her hand to him. She smiles and stands once he takes her hand, his small hand like ice in her hold. "My name's Lailah," She tells him as she leads him away and towards the veil.

"... Lailah..." The boy repeats.

"Yes!" She smiles brightly. He was quickly gaining awareness, and at the rate he was going, he should be fully aware within a few days.

"What's... My name?" He looks up at her.

Lailah hesitates. She's never been one for naming things, and when she did they were puns. But this little Seraph deserves a more meaningful name. A proper name for a proper Seraphim. She looks back in the direction they came. Where the Seraph's former self lie dead.

"Mikleo," She says after a moment, looking down at him with a warm smile. "Your name is Mikleo."


	2. Chapter One

It was a crisp autumn day, the people of Camlann busy preparing for the upcoming winter. Children ran around playing, their dogs happily chasing after them, while their parents worked. Old Man Mayvin telling anyone who would listen tales of the Forest Folk, a mythical race of people who were hidden from the human eye. It was so hard to believe that not even a decade ago this happy, peaceful village suffered from tragedy one cold winters night.

 

Sorey, now seventeen years old, but still bursting at the seams with childlike wonder, wipes his brow, setting his axe to the side as he sits down on a tree stump. He'd much rather be listening to one of Mayvin's stories, but the work wasn't going to do itself.. Ever since his father left, he's been in charge of chopping wood, fetching water, and the hunting, he also did the same for Alisha and her father, the man far to old and sickly to take on such tasks. He smiles when he sees Alisha jog up to him, eyes lighting up when he sees the basket in her hands.

They sit in a content silence on a scratchy old blanket, eating the sandwiches Alisha had made. She wasn't much of a cook, but Sorey has always loved anything she made for him. He leans on her as he eats another one, smiling when she simply brushes his hair back.

"This is the best sandwich I've ever had." Sorey says, earning a laugh from his girlfriend.

"You say that about everything I make." Alisha says. "I'm starting to think you just say it to make me happy." She accuses him.

"What? No way, I mean it!" He leans up to kiss her. "Honest. Your food just gets better and better each time you cook, and your prickleboar stew is the best in the entire village."

"Is that your subtle way of asking for some prickleboar stew?" She stifles a laugh.

"Maybe~" He grins up at her.

"Well, if you want prickleboar stew, I need a prickleboar." She states.

"Consider it done. As soon as I'm done with the chopping I'll go out and hunt a few." He eats what remains of his food and downs the glass of water. "Maybe I'll run into him this time..." He mumbles into the glass.

Alisha frowns deeply, but says nothing. He had refused to accept what the adults were saying, that his best friend was gone, and decided to take matter into his own hands and look for him on his own. She vividly remembers how Sorey had lost voice and made himself very ill in during his attempts. Sorey still clung to the idea that Mikleo was still out there somewhere, and did everything within his power to make sure the village was ready for whenever he came back. She understood that everyone handles grief differently, but she couldn't help but worry when Sorey talked like this. Alisha gives a small sigh and wordlessly kisses the top of his head.

 

A stream of water floats in the air, moving in the same fashion of a snake before splitting off into smaller streams. The new streams weave around one another, creating different shapes, as their manipulator, the young Water Seraph Mikleo smiles in content. He continues to manipulate the water, making the streams dance around one another, completely unaware of the Earth Seraph stepping up beside him.

Mikleo's smile widens when the sunlight reflects off the water, making it sparkle. "Pretty." He hears, and he lets out a startled shout, and he looses control of the water. It falls on him, soaking him, and it would have done the same to the Seraph beside him had it not been for her opening her parasol right on time.

"Edna!" He groans, quickly drying his hair with a flick of his wrists. "You weren't supposed to see that yet. It's not ready." He takes hold of one his capes and wrings it out. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to see where you've been running off too for the past week." Edna replies with a shrug, twirling her parasol as she speaks. "I was hoping to find you doing something more... Interesting than making bubbles, but what else did I expect from such a little Meebo?"

"You can no longer reach my head without standing on the tip of your toes, or raising the ground, therefore, you are in no position to comment on my height." Mikleo states bluntyly. He grins when he recieves a mildly annoyed look from the other. "And stop calling me 'Meebo'. I'm not a little kid anymore." 

"It doesn't matter how old, or taller than me, you get, you'll always be Meebo." Edna states matter-of-factually, a smile on her face. "Besides, I don't see you don't making a fuss whenever Lailah calls you 'Snowdrop'." She teases.

Mikleo's cheeks turn red. "L-Lailah's different!" Why would he make a fuss when Lailah calls him as such? She had been the one to raise him, after all. His face burns brighter when Edna laughs. "Do you tease Eizen like this, or am I special?"

"Of course I don't tease Eizen the way I tease you." Edna turns her back. "I tease him worse." Mikleo can all but see the fond smile on her face, despite facing her back. "He has a much thicker skin than you ever will, _Snowdrop._ "

Mikleo rolls his eyes, muttering a quick 'don't call me that', and turns away. "Yes. Well. If you don't mind, I'm going to go and make more 'bubbles' somewhere a little more private. I'll be back by nightfall." He steps away. "Don't wait up for me."

"You would be so lucky."

 

Sorey crouches behind the bushes as he aims the shotgun at the prickleboar a few feet away. He pulls the trigger and the gunshot echoes through the air as the animal falls to the ground. Sorey emerges from his hiding spot, going to collect his kill. He had intended to hunt a few, but this one was fairly large and could easily become quite a few meals if prepared properly. He was going to have a hard time hauling it back home, however. He'd most likely have to drag it back, part of him regretting for traveling this far into the forest.

He feels a sudden chill in the air, and a feeling of dread washes over him. Before he can react, Sorey's tackled to the ground by a wolf like creature. Sorey swiftly grabs his shotgun, striking the creature across the face, causing it to howl and give him a chance to escape. The beast quickly recovers from being stuck across the snout and clamps it's jaws around Sorey's leg. 

Sorey cries out in pain, aiming the gun at the beast and pulls the trigger, cursing at the simple 'click' he hears. With his free leg, he kicks the creature in the snout, wincing when it's jaws only bite down harder. Before he can think of an alternative, a sudden stream of water knocks into the wolf with such force that it has no other choice but to release him.

"What on..." Before Sorey could finish the thought the wolf is back on it's feet and is charging at it's attacker, a teenage boy armed with nothing but a staff. He stares at the strange boy. Unable to shake the fact that he _knew_ him from somewhere.

As the other fends the beast off by summoning water and ice, Sorey quickly digs in the pouch attached to his belt, pulling out a few bullets and reloading the shotgun. He looks up when the boy suddenly lands beside him with a grunt of pain, green eyes widening when he finds the wolf was now standing on it's hind legs and was drawing closer. He shoots at it, the bullets doing nothing but making it angrier.

 

"What is that thing?" He manages to ask.

"A hellion," The other answers. "I've never seen one before, let alone fight one, but they're dangerous, I know that much." He gets to his feet and summons a ring of water around them both. Within a split second, the ring of water divides into three streams that twist around each other as they rush towards the hellion. 

To Sorey's amazement, the water suddenly turns into ice, puncturing the hellion through the chest. It lets out another howl, before standing completely still. Both boys hold their breath, becoming tense the hellion takes a few steps forward before it collapses. They exhale, Sorey letting himself fall onto his back in relief while the other runs a hand through his hair. 

 

"Are you alright?"

Sorey stares up at the young man who had saved him in disbelief. He pushes himself up onto his elbows, examining the other. He looked exactly like him, only his hair was silver rather than the brown he remembers. No. It couldn't be. Could it? 

"Mik...Leo?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo cliffhangers :0
> 
> Thank's for reading !! I'll try and have the next chapter out soon.


	3. Chapter Two

"Mik...Leo?"

Mikleo tilts his head and stares at the human with confusion. "How... Do you know my name?" He jumps slightly when the human suddenly stands, leaning forward to examine his face with wide eyes. "Y-your leg, it's hurt."

A smile grows on the human's face. "It really is you..." He mumbles. Before Mikleo can say anything more about the human's leg, he's pulled into a tight hug. "You came back! I always knew you would, Mikleo, I--" The human hiccups. "I've missed you so much..." He squeezes him tighter. "I'm so, _so_ sorry... If I had gone home with you... It's all my fault..." He begins shaking, burying his face in the Seraphs shoulder. "Please forgive me, Mikleo."

Mikleo was at a loss for words, he had no idea what to do in a situation like this. So, he did what Lailah had done for him in the past when he would cry. He places his hands on the humans back, gently rubbing it through the fabric of his blue shirt. The wind blows through the trees, rustling their hair and making his capes flutter from under the humans hold. The Seraph finds himself gripping onto the humans shirt.

"I'm sorry." He says, causing the brunet to pull away, his eyes slightly red and puffy from crying. "I... You have me mistaken for someone else, I'm sorry."

"You... You don't remember me?"

 

Sorey watches as Mikleo tends to his leg, his mind racing with all sorts of questions he couldn't answer. Amnesia kept repeating in his mind, and while that did explain why Mikleo had no recollection of him, that wouldn't explain anything else. Such as where he's been for the past decade, or why his hair was almost white, and why he could suddenly control water. His mind is torn back to Mikleo when a cool feeling spreads through his leg, a light shining from his palm. Once the light fades, Sorey finds that the wound had vanished, just like that.

"There," Mikleo smiles at his handiwork, summoning a small amount of water to wash away the blood from his leg. "Sorey, was it?" He receives a nod in confirmation. "You aren't hurt anywhere else, are you?" 

"... No... I'm alright." Sorey looks away from him.

"I'm... Sorry, that I'm not who you were hoping I was." Mikleo says, standing up and dusting the dirt from his knees. "But I'm sure _your_ Mikleo misses you just as much as you miss him." He winces slightly when his hand brushes against his side.

"But, you _are_ my Mikleo!" Sorey stands and takes the Seraph by the shoulders. "I know you may not remember, but you are! I can feel it." He releases him, digging into his pouch and pulling out a white glove. "You gave me this, remember? It was a set and we both had one, they were too big for us then, so you lost yours." He hands the glove to Mikleo in hopes that he would remember something. "I tried to give you mine, but you got mad at me for trying to return a gift and I've kept it with me ever since."

Mikleo examins the glove, running his thumb over the symbol sewn on it, as Sorey continues to tell him of his childhood. "We would always go on all sorts of adventures around the village, and onetime we somehow managed to get stuck in a well." He can't help but laugh. 

Mikleo snorts. "Sounds like you two were quite the trouble makers." He hands the glove back to Sorey, frowning at the look on his face.

Sorey holds the glove in a tight fist. This wasn't working. Nothing was jogging his memory. "Can I... Ask you what your earliest memory is?

"My earliest memory?" Mikleo blinks. He crosses his arm and tilts his head. "Well... I suppose it would be when I first became fully aware of myself and my surroundings. Lailah and Lord Zenrus were talking about something, though I can't remember what..." He sees the disappointment on Sorey's face.

"I see..." Sorey returns the glove to his pouch. "So, you really don't remember anything then? Not me, Rose, Alisha, or even your mother?"

"Of course I remember Lailah--" He cuts himself off, cheeks turning pink. Lailah wasn't his mother no, but she was the first thing that popped into his mind when he thought of what a mother was. He clears his throat. "Seraphim don't have mothers, Sorey."

Confusion crosses the humans face, and Mikleo can't help but chuckle. "Seraphim are born from earthpulses. So we don't have mothers or fathers. Not in the same way..." He pauses, putting his hand to his head. He blinks a few times before continuing. "Not in the same way humans have parents."

Sorey goes to ask him something, but stops himself when he notices how pale his face was. "Mikleo?" He steps up to him. "Are you okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?" He's quick to catch the Seraph when he suddenly falls forward.

"The hellion, it must have done more damage than I thought..." Mikleo mumbles, screwing his eyes shut as he moves his hand over his side to try and heal it. He feels Sorey lower him to the ground, holding him against his chest. "I thought it was just a scratch... I can't heal it myself." He looks up to Sorey. 

Sorey pulls Mikleo's hand away from his side, scowling at the blood stain forming on his tunic. "How can I help you?" Guilt hits him hard in the chest, all this time he was talking about a past he clearly didn't remember while he was in pain. 

"Another Seraph could heal it probably..." Mikleo answers. "I need to get home... Back to Elysia."

"Elysia? Where's that?" Sorey stands with Mikleo, keeping him upright as he summons his staff and uses it as a support. 

Mikleo shakes his head. "You won't be able to get there. You're just a human." He steps away from Sorey, smiling back at him from over his shoulder. "I can go by myself."

Sorey tenses as the words echo in his head. That's exactly what Mikleo had said that day, and suddenly Sorey was a seven year old boy again, bidding what would be his final farewell to his best friend. He shakes his head. "No!" He takes the other's hand. "No, I can't let you go off alone again! Not when you're hurt." He thinks for a moment, tightening his grip on the Seraph's hand before asking;

"Do you trust me?"

 

Mikleo stares up at the unfamiliar ceiling above him, he winces in pain when he feels a rag press onto his injury. He looks to Sorey, who was focused solely on cleaning his wound. He was crazy, he knew it, going with a human to his village rather than return to Elysia. But, he trusts Sorey, despite having only just met him, he felt safe with him. He hisses in pain when something stings his side, earning a small 'sorry' from the other. He's then gently pulled up into a sitting position.

"You can stay here until you're well enough to go back to Elysia." Sorey says, breaking the silence as he wraps a bandage around Mikleo's middle. "Alright?"

"I suppose... But... _Where_ is here?" Mikleo asks as he leans back again.

"Oh, this is my home, my room to be exact." He grins. "You'll have to be quiet when I'm not around though, my mom will ask all sorts of questions if she sees you here..." Sorey rubs the back of his neck.

"Right..." Mikleo looks around the room again, his eyes falling on the book on the bedside table. "May I?" He asks as Sorey digs through his wardrobe.

"Hm? Oh, yeah sure, help yourself." Sorey pulls one of his shirts from the wardrobe and walks back over to the bed. He hands Mikleo the shirt, and picks up his discarded tunic once he takes it from him. He turns the tunic inside out, it wasn't torn, but it was badly stained. "I'll go soak this," 

When he looks back to Mikleo, he feels his cheeks become warm. The Seraph had slipped into the shirt he gave him, and it was far to big for his small frame, one shoulder slipping off, and his fingers just barely poking out from the sleeves. He has to force himself to not stare, and simply looks back down at the tunic in his hands.

"Thank you, Sorey." Mikleo smiles fondly at him, not noticing the way the other's face flushes even more.

"I... I have to go do something. I'll be back in a little bit." Sorey walks to the bedroom door. "You can read any of the books in my room if you want, just try not to move around too much, okay?" He leaves the room when he sees Mikleo give him a nod, closing the door behind him.

 

Once he has Mikleo's shirt soaking in a tub of cold water, Sorey beelines directly to the tavern his mother worked at, though not to seek her out, but rather one of the patrons. He spots him, Mayvin, sitting at a table in the back corner speaking to a younger man over drinks. He walks over to the table, putting on a smile when the man grins at him.

"Sorey! I missed you at the storytelling today, busy with the firewood?"

"Ah, yes sir, I was." Sorey nods, he shifts on his weight to his other foot. "Mayvin... Do you know anything about Seraphim?" This seems to pique the other man's interest.

"Seraphim?" Mayvin repeats. "Hm, well, I'm afraid I don't know much aside that they were said to have been on this earth long before humans came to be."

"Oh..." Sorey frowns, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

The young man across from Mayvin swallows what remains of his drink. "I can tell you about the Seraphim," He says, gesturing to an empty chair. He offers Sorey a drink once he's seated, only for the younger to turn it down. 

"Seraphim are a race of people linked to the elements. As such they're gifted with abilities corresponding to that element, earth, water, wind, and fire. They're believed to be born from the land itself, and are said to live in a realm humans cannot see." He says. "There are children's books that talk of fairies, or forest folk, both of which are inspired by the mythology about the Seraphim."

"I see..." Sorey nods his head. "I know it sounds odd, but, can... Can human become Seraphim?" He asks, seeing the man raise an eyebrow.

"I've heard it is possible, yes, but it's incredibly rare and no story I've heard has ever said how or why this happens. Just that they loose all memories of their human life." He pours himself another drink. "You know, I have to ask, not many people have even heard of the Seraphim before. You read a lot of old books?"

"Y-yes. I like to read about the ancient world, and the book I was reading today mentioned them but didn't go into detail." He stands up from the table. "Thank you for telling me more about them, um..."

"Eizen." He and Sorey shake hands. "If you want to learn more about the Seraphim, look for mythology books about the Malakhim, it's what they were called in ancient times."

"Alright, I will, thank you Eizen." Sorey smiles and bids the two men goodbye. He waves at his mother before he goes to leave, only to stop and walk up to the counter to order some curry buns to go.

 

When Sorey returns to his room, he finds Mikleo reading one of the adventure novels he owns. 

The Seraph looks up at him and smiles warmly. "Welcome back."

Sorey smiles and walks over to the bed, placing the bag of curry buns on the bedside table. "You look tired," He says, pulling back the blanket, and lifting his shirt up some to examine the wound on his side. He'd need to change the bandage soon. "You should eat something and try to get some rest." He then digs into the bag and holds out one of the buns.

Mikleo goes to say something about how Seraphim don't need to eat, but stops himself when he sees the twinkle in Sorey's eyes. He sets the book aside and takes the food from him. "Thank you."

They eat in silence, Sorey on the floor with his back against the bed, and Mikleo leaning against the wall. Eizen's words about some humans being reborn as Seraphim repeat in his Sorey's mind, and he turns around to look at Mikleo. He firmly believed that his best friend had been reborn. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"When I saw you, I wanted _so_ badly for you to be the old Mikleo. But you're not. At least not anymore." Sorey stands up from the floor, moving to sit on the edge of the bed."You don't remember anything from before, and may not ever will, but that's okay. You're someone new now, and... I want to get to know the _new_ Mikleo. If you'll let me?"

"Well, I'm stuck here until further notice, so I haven't got much of a choice, now do I?" Mikleo asks with a teasing grin. He liked Sorey, he really did. "But, will you tell me more stories about the adventures you and the old Mikleo used to have? I would love to know how you managed to get stuck in a well."

Sorey smiles fondly at the Seraph. "I'd be happy too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorey accepts that the old Mikleo is no more, and Eizen joins the party apparently hahaha 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading ! :D


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading ! Please enjoy this new chapter

"Do you have any plans tomorrow, Sorey?" Mikleo asks the human as he makes quick work of changing his bandages. He's been here for three days now, and his injury are getting better and better, almost as if another Seraph had healed it just enough to help speed up the healing process.

"I'm going to go to the library and see if I can't find any more ancient history books." Sorey answers, he hands Mikleo a clean shirt. "So I'll be leaving you for a while, but I'm yours until after lunch." He grins, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed.

"Will you tell me more stories?" 

"Actually, I wanna know more about you." Sorey's eyes light up. He and Mikleo had quite a bit in common, they both loved history, reading, and liked to explore. He sees the Seraph tilt his head, silently asking him to ask him anything he wished to know. "Like, what's your favorite food?"

"Well, Seraphim don't really eat much, and if we do it's purely done as a hobby, not for sustenance. So the only thing I've had is what you've been feeding me." Mikleo answers. "But, I suppose out of what you've given me, I like the sweet, puffy one's the most, and... I would like some more before I leave for Elysia." 

"Too many sweets are bad for your teeth, Mikleo."

"I'm sure too many mabo curry buns is bad for one's health too, but that doesn't stop you, now does it?" Mikleo counters, laughing when Sorey simply sticks his tongue out at him. The human yawns and starts positioning his pillow and blankets on the floor. "Aren't you cold on the floor, Sorey?" 

"Yeah, I am a little, but I'll be okay." Sorey answers. "I want you to be comfortable while you recover, and the floor is in no way comfortable." He sees Mikleo frown, and he sits up. "But if you're _that_ worried..." He climbs into the bed besides the Seraph.

"S-Sorey!" Mikleo's face turns a bright shade of red, staring at the human with wide lavender eyes.

"There. No we can both be warm and cozy." Sorey grins. The bed was just barely big enough for the two of them, and if Mikleo were any taller or had a larger build they wouldn't be able to fit comfortably. "Unless... You're uncomfortable with this?"

Mikleo found it hard to speak, he opens and closes his mouth, looking like a fish out of water. Sorey frowns at this, and moves to get back on the floor, but the Seraph stops him. "It's... It's fine." He mumbles, adverting his eyes. 

Sorey smiles and sits up, reaching for his pillow and blanket. He positions them on the bed before switching off the lamp beside his bed. They lie in bed and say nothing, simply listening to the wind outside. "We used to do this all the time..." Sorey mumbles. "Of course, the bed was bigger then."

"You and the other Mikleo?"

"... Yeah." Sorey finds himself pulling Mikleo closer to him without realizing it. "We'd have sleep overs all the time, at random too, it got to the point we started leaving a change of clothes at each others house." 

"This is my first time doing something like this... Seraphim don't usually need to sleep, but we can if we so wish or we're tired enough." Mikleo lets his forehead rest on Sorey's shoulder. "It's nice..." He blinks when he hears Sorey snoring softly. He smiles, pulling the blanket further up on them. "Goodnight, Sorey."

 

The next day, the two are awoken when Sorey is suddenly pulled from the bed with a shriek. Mikleo nearly falls on the floor in the process, but catches himself with his hands.

"What in the _hell_ are you doing, Sorey?!" A young woman with red hair demands as she pins Sorey beneath her. "How could you cheat on Alisha? And with some _stranger_?!"

"W-what? I'm not--" Sorey's eyes widen with realization. "It's not what it looks like, I swear!"

"Rose, Sorey isn't like that!" Alisha comes to Sorey's defense. "I'm sure he has an explanation!" She adds as she helps the Seraph back upright.

Rose whips her head around to Mikleo. "You two haven't done anything, have you?!"

"N-No?" Mikleo peaks around Alisha. "Sorey, who are they?

"This is my friend, Rose, and my girlfriend Alisha." Sorey explains, managing to squirm his way out from under Rose, and moves behind Alisha, eyeing the redhead from over her shoulder. "Alisha, Rose, this is.... This is Mikleo." Immediately, Rose's expression melts from anger to confusion, and Alisha turns to look at him with concern. Rose goes to ask him something but Sorey takes both their wrists and leads them out into the hall. "I'll be right back, okay?" He smiles at the Seraph from over his shoulder, closing the door behind him.

 

"So, if I have this right, you went out hunting, were attacked by a 'hellion' or whatever, and a 'Seraph' saved you, and there's a good chance he's actually our childhood friend who got lost in the forest ten years ago?" Rose demands, her arms crossed over her chest.

"No, he _is_ our friend," Sorey corrects her. "Or, rather, he _was._ "

"Sorey, I know you miss him, and you've been waiting for him to return all these years, but... He's gone, Sorey." Alisha says, she steps up to him and take his hands. "He's not coming back."

"I _know_ that! I know the old Mikleo is gone, but he's a new Mikleo now." Sorey argues. 

"You... Do realize you sound insane right now, right?" Rose questions.

"I know it's hard to believe, but I just _know_ he's the reincarnation of Mikleo." Sorey looks at the floor. "It all adds up, he said he was born from an earthpulse that runs through the forest during the winter almost ten years ago, he looks almost _exactly_ like him. It can't just be a coincidence."

Rose and Alisha look at one another. "And... What if he really is Mikleo reborn, Sorey? What then?" Alisha asks him.

"Then, we just get to know him for who he is now."

 

Mikleo absentmindedly flicks through the pages of one of Sorey's books. It was a new one he had bought yesterday, with a few chapters dedicated to the Malakhim. It was all stuff he had read before, the history of the Malakhim being basic education for Seraphim, but it was interesting to read it from a humans perspective. 

The book spoke of the time before the Malakhim fled beyond the veil, of an era of peace for humanity, and the time Malakhim were their 'humble servants' as the book read. When Sorey had read that aloud last night, Mikleo was quick to tell him the reality of the situation. That the peace that book spoke of was only achieved because greedy humans were able to lock a Malak's free will away and turn them into slaves. Even after thousands of years, many Seraphim were still wary of humans, and rarely interacted with them, and up until now, Mikleo was perfectly content with being one of them.

He closes the book when Sorey and his friends enter the room again. His shoulders become tense when Rose leans over to peer at his face, her blue eyes narrow. Mikleo looks at Sorey from the corner of his eyes, seeing both he and Alisha give him two awkward smiles.

"Huh, he really _does_ look like him..." Rose mumbles. She leans away from him, crossing her arms. "Are you sure it's smart, keeping him in your room like this? What if your mom sees him?"

"She won't, because unlike someone who's name I won't mention, she knocks." Sorey gives her a grin. 

Alihsa laughs as Rose starts poking at Sorey, eventually slinging her arm around his neck and messing up his hair more than it already was. She sits on the bed, knowing that they would be at this for a good few minutes.

"Are they always like this?" Mikleo asks her.

"Yes." Alisha says with a smile. She sighs. "I worry when they go off together, they're both so reckless, I'm surprised they haven't gotten themselves hurt."

"Even after the few days I've been here, I can tell Sorey's a handful." He pulls his knees up to his chest. "But he's really sweet. He talks about you a lot, you know, you make him happy."

" _Mikleo!_ " Sorey whines from beneath Rose, the older girl having pinned him down on the floor once again. "You weren't supposed to say that!"

Alisha lets out giggle. "He makes me happy too," She says, causing Sorey's face to flush.

 

Elsewhere, Lailah paces back and forth, her heels clicking on the stone beneath her feet. It's been over three days and Mikleo has been nowhere to be seen. To say she was worried would be an understatement. This wasn't at all like him. Yes, he'd started exploring the forest without her, but he always came back. She stops suddenly, and marches towards the veil, only to have a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist and lift her up.

"Put me _down_ , Zavied." She struggles to get out of the wind Seraph's hold.

"Lailah, you have to calm down. I know you're worried, but Mikleo's not a kid anymore." Zavied carries her over to a low wall and sets her down on it. "He probably found some secret cave or something and got caught up exploring it."

"But _three days_ , Zavied? Mikleo's more responsible than that!" She glares up at him with green eyes. "He could be hurt! A hellion could have attacked him!"

"He's a big boy now, he can take care of himself. And he's not stupid enough to cross paths with a hellion." He brushes the hair from her face.

Lailah says nothing and looks at her lap. "I have to go and find him... He's not ready to be going off for days at a time."

"Lailah," Zavied takes her chin and makes her look up at him. He needs to grow up and experience things for himself. If you keep treating him like a baby, he's going to rebel in other ways." He puts his finger to her lips when she goes to speak, knowing exactly what she was going to say. "I _know_ he's only ten years old, but physically and mentally he's not. He's a teenage boy, nearly a man, and he's going to try to spread his wings and fly."

Lailah pulls Zavied's hand away. "I know, it's just... He's still so young and inexperienced..." She frowns deeply and heaves a sigh. "He has until the end of the week. If he's not back by then, I am going to go and look for him, and you're going to help. Do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, lovely."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A pretty light hearted chapter, I think :0 
> 
> Lailah/Zavied is one of my other Zesty otps. I just love their interactions in the game and I need more of content of them.
> 
> I'm not sure when I'll have the next one posted as we're in the process of moving. So until then, Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, and to those who don't, Happy Holidays!!


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter?? So soon?? It's a Christmas Miracle! 
> 
> I hope everyone has a happy holiday! Thank you for reading!

A few more days have passed, and Mikleo's injury was nearly healed, all that remained of it was something akin to a cat scratch and slight pain when touched. He was ready to return to Elysia, but he wanted to see Sorey's village first. So, that's what they did that day. Sorey, Rose and Alisha gave him the grand tour of their home, showing him all their favorite places, their homes, and where they work. The towns people gave him odd looks, commenting on his hair mostly, but Sorey helped him avoid any further questions by saying he was albino. An albino from a far off village passing through on his way to Ladylake, according to Rose.

"I don't like lying..." The Seraph mumbles.

"I don't like it either," Sorey adds. "Can't we just say he's from out of town, and leave it at that? At least that's the truth."

"It's not lying, we're just... Stretching the truth a little bit, that's all." Rose says. "Make it more believable."

"They have a point, Rose." Alisha sighs, as she and Sorey walk hand in hand.

"Yeah, maybe. But this way's more fun!" The redhead admits. "So, where to next?"

 

Before anyone could say anything, a large, black and white dog runs up to them at full speed, tackling Mikleo to the ground and licking his face. The Seraph becomes incredibly stiff, as the dog sniffs and licks his face, the other's efforts to pull him off doing nothing. He's never been a fan of dogs, they always made him uneasy and he never really knew why. In fact, he'd hide from them whenever he saw them, clinging to Lailah's skirts for dear life when hew as younger. The dog sits down suddenly, licking the side of Mikleo's face one more time before he begins panting and wagging his tail. The dog's ears perk up suddenly when there's a sharp whistle, and he stands, grabbing onto the sleeve of Mikleo's tunic and pulling him along as he makes his way back to his master.

"Atakk!" Sorey wraps his arms around Mikleo's middle, pulling him back against the dog. "No!" Rose and Alisha grab onto him and help him pull, and people begin to gather to watch the tug-o-war between them and the dog for Mikleo's arm. "Let him go!"

Mikleo was unsure how to react to this, so he didn't. He remained frozen, hoping that the dog would give up and let him go. He whines Sorey's name when the dog growls, pulling harder as the fabric of his shirt begins to tear, hoping that the human would do _something_ to make it go away.

A woman runs up and grabs the dog by the collar. "No! Bad dog!" She tugs his collar and the dog lets out another growl as he continues to tug on Mikleo's sleeve. The material tears with a audible 'rip', and the group of teenagers fall back into a pile. The dog whines as he lies on the ground, his head between his paws. "I am _so_ sorry," The woman says, hooking the animal to a leash. "He's usually much better behaved."

Mikleo goes to speak, but no words come out. He stares up at the woman before him, a sudden feeling of nostalgia washing over him. The woman had long brown hair tied into a ponytail, and eyes like his. Lavender in color but full of sadness, and the way she looks at him is the same way Sorey did when they first met. He finally manages to nod as he stands up, tuning out the hurried whispers behind him.

The woman blinks before giving him a kind, oddly familiar, smile. "That's good." She sees his torn sleeve and reaches for it. "Oh, dear, your shirt... Please, let me fix it for you... Um... I don't think I caught your name?"

"Mi--" A hand is clamped over his mouth.

"Miles! His name is Miles!" Sorey answers for him. "He's um... Getting over a pretty bad case of laryngitis so he can't strain his voice too much." He grins. "Miles this is Muse, a friend of my moms."

"Oh! You're a friend of Sorey's!" Muse smiles brighter. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." She looks around the two boys. "Hello girls."

"Hello ma'am." Alisha greets her while Rose simply wave. Sensing Sorey's unease, she walks up and takes both boys by the arms. "I'm afraid we need to be off, Sorey promised to buy us all lunch and Mik-- Miles, needs to take his medication with food."

"Oh, alright." The woman smiles. "It was a pleasure meeting you." She extends her hand to the young Seraph.

"L-Likewise." 

 

Mikleo stares at his plate as he and the others sit in an awkward silence in a secluded corner in the tavern. He looks up from his food and looks at Sorey. "Who was she?"

"That was Muse."

"No, who _was_ she?" Mikleo asks again. 

"Your--" Sorey pauses. "The other Mikleo's mother," He answers. "I stopped you from saying your name because... She puts on a happy face, but she's still devastated about what happened. I didn't want to upset her..."

"Oh..." Mikleo turns back to his plate and begins poking at the peas with a fork. The group falls into another awkward silence that lasts for nearly half an hour. The only sound heard was that of silverware hitting plates, and the chatter of other patrons.

"I haven't seen Atakk act like that in _years._ " Rose says, finally ending the silence. "The way he ran up to you, and his strength... You'd never guess he's thirteen."

"He used to treat us like sheep," Alisha says, stirring her cup of tea. "You-- The other Mikleo, was the smallest so he was always tugging on his clothes to make sure he didn't get left behind. But he only did that to him, no one else."

Sorey laughs. "Yeah, he always hated it too. He said Atakk used to nip at his ankles all the time at home." 

Mikleo listens to them talk, letting everything sink in. The woman who made him feel nostalgic was the other Mikleo's mother. Her dog used to chase her son, nipping at his ankles, and tugging at his clothes. Something he only did to him. The Seraph looks at his sleeve, running his fingers over where it's torn. He remembers how both Sorey and Rose said that he looked like their childhood friend. He was born shortly after, if not the day, their friend had went missing, in the very same forest too. He even had the same _name_. There was no way this was all a coincidence.

 

It was late afternoon when the group stood at the edge of the forest, three out of four clearly uneasy. Mikleo smiles warmly at them. "Thank you so much for your hospitality." 

"Of course." Sorey smiles. "Will... Will you come and visit us again? Maybe next time I won't be attacked by a hellion."

Mikleo laughs. "I'd like to, yes. Maybe next time I can show you around my village." His eyes light up. "Actually, there are some ruins just outside the veil, maybe we can explore them one day?"

"It's a date!" Sorey beams. "I mean... Not a _date_ date, obviously, but, uh..." He trails off, his face flushing when Alisha and Rose laugh. Alisha calling him 'cute' through her giggles.

"Are you sure it's safe to go alone?" Alisha asks. "The forest is so... Dense, and it's getting dark. Maybe one of us should go with you?"

"Yeah, I'll go with you." Sorey volunteers. 

"No, it's alright. I can handle myself." Mikleo smiles. "Besides, if you came a long, you'd just get lost on the way home. I don't want anything to happen to you. To any of you. You're my friends."

"Then at least stay until morning." Sorey says, frowning deeply when the Seraph shakes his head.

"Thank you, but I really need to go home. Lailah's got to be worried sick by now, and... I honestly need some time to think."

"Please be careful." Sorey says. " _Promise_ you'll be careful, Mikleo." 

The Seraph blinks, each of the humans before him all wore the same concerned expression. He couldn't blame them. They lost their friend to this forest, after all. He summons his staff, a confident smile on his face. "I promise."

 

Lailah nearly jumps out of her skin when a rabbit darts by her, it had gotten dark and hard to see, so she was a little on edge. She creates a flame in her hand to help light the way, using her other hand to shield it from Zavied's winds. She hears leaves crunching in the distance, and she follows the sound, nearly colliding with the young water Seraph she was seeking out. He looks up at her in surprise, the flame in the fire Seraph's hand lighting up his features. The flame quickly goes out and she pulls him into an embrace.

"Mikleo! Oh thank goodness you're okay!" She squeezes him tight, kissing his head. She pulls away from him suddenly, putting her hands on her hips. "Luzrov Rulay, where have you been?! You scared me half to death!" She feels guilty when the young Seraph flinches at the use of his true name.

"I, uh..." Mikleo swallows the lump in his throat. Lailah hardly used his true name, unless she was really upset with him.

"He was with me," A voice says before he can speak. The trio turn to Eizen as he walks up to them. "I stumbled upon some ruins from before the Great War, and needed an extra pair of hands to explore them. Right?"

"Y-yes! Unfortunately, humans had already wiped the place clean." Mikleo rubs the back of his neck.

Lailah seemed satisfied with that answer as her expression softens. "I see. Well, at least you were safe." She hears Zavied snort.

"Safe? With Eizen? He'd be better off on his own." The wind Seraph crosses his arms and grins. "Reaps here is practically a danger magnet."

"Maybe so, but unlike _some_ ," Eizen shoots Zavied a glare. "I'm responsible."

Lailah simply lets out a sigh when the two men begin bickering like an old married couple. She turns her attention back to Mikleo, brushing his bangs from his eyes. "I'm not mad, I just got worried when you were gone for so long." She tells him. "Please, the next time you decide to go off for a few days, tell me. Alright?"

Mikleo smiles and hugs the older Seraph around her waist. "Alright." He smiles when she returns the hug, placing another kiss to the top of his hair. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

 

The walk back to Elysia was quiet, Mikleo kept trying to ask Lailah one of the many questions he had, but he couldn't bring himsself to do so just yet. He was also curious as to why Eizen would lie for him like that, but now wasn't the time to ask, as Lailah would just become angry again. It's not to much longer before they reach Elysia, and the moment he enters the village, Mikleo's hit over the head with Edna's parasol.

"Ow!" He yelps, rubbing at his head. "What was that for?!"

"For making Lailah worry." Edna states. "You talk about not being a little kid, and you go and disappear for a _week_." She whacks him again. "You have a lot to learn before you're ever going to be considered an adult, Mikleo." 

"That's Edna speak for 'I was worried about you'," Eizen says, patting the water seraph on the shoulder.

" _Please_ ," Edna lets out the most exasperated sigh she could muster. "If I was worried about him, I would have said something along the lines of 'I was worried about you, idiot', or 'Don't ever pull a stupid stunt like that again', or even 'I'm glad you're not dead'." She opens her parasol and turns away from the two. "One would think that after a few millennia, you would know your own _sister_ well enough to know that she don't beat around the bush."

Eizen simply smiles, laughing lightly. "Right, right. Of course, I'll try and pay better attention from here on out."

"You better."

The blond looks to Mikleo and says, "Send a silphjay to your friends to let them know you made it home safely."

Before Mikleo could answer, or ask him why he had covered for him, Eizen and Edna leave him to catch up. It's been nearly a year since they last saw one another, and he decided it was best to leave the questions for later. He looks to Lailah, and swallows hard.

"Lailah...? Can I ask you something?"

 

Sorey stares at his ceiling, his arms behind his head as he lies on his bed. It was weird not having Mikleo to talk too. To have the bed all to himself. Rose and Alisha did have some interest in ancient history, but nowhere near as much as Sorey, Mikleo was one of the only people to rival him on his knowledge and random trivia facts. He liked sharing his room with the Seraph, the way the fit perfectly together on the mattress, and how the way his hair smelled like fresh spring water.

Feeling his cheeks become warm, he sits up and shakes his head, smacking at his own face. "You have a girlfriend, dummy." He scolds himself, eyebrows furrowing at a tapping at his window. He turns around to see a small bird. It taps at his window again, prompting him to open it. The bird simply hops onto the desk through the window, and that's when he notices it has a note attatched to it's leg. He pulls the note free as the bird simply hops around on the desk and chirps.

A smile spreads on Sorey's face when he reads the note. It was from Mikleo, telling him he had gotten home safely, along with a request to feed and water the bird before sending it back. He sets the note aside and writes his own, confirming that he got the Seraph's message, and that he couldn't wait to see him again. Once the bird was fed and watered, he attatched the note to it's leg and sent it off, leaning out of the window to watch it fly away and disappear in the distance.

 

Mikleo smiles when the silphjay lands on his arm, flying off towards it's nest when he pulls Sorey's note free. It had been a month since he left Camlann, but he and the human kept in touch by sending the silphjay back and forth. With each note the sent, they became closer and closer. Though, Mikleo had yet to bring himself to tell him what Lailah had told him that night.

 

_"Lailah...? Can I ask you something?"_

_"Of course, Mikleo." The older Seraph answered with a kind smile. What's on your mind?"_

_"Was..." He hesitated, his hands balled into fists. "Was I a human once?" Lailah looked at him with confusion, so he continued. "I know some Seraphim can be reborn from humans, and I--" He stopped himself. "Eizen and I passed through a village on the way home, and I felt like I had been there before. That I knew the humans I crossed paths with."_

_Lailah was silent for a good minute. "I knew you'd start asking questions one day.." She said quietly, her hands clasped together in front of her. She gave him a curt nod. "Yes."_

 

From then, Lailah told him everything shew knew. How when she found him, it was shortly after a blizzard and he was just standing near a pile of snow that covered a human boy named Mikleo, and it take him too long to figure out that the human had frozen to death. She had even taken him to where she found him, where an oak tree now stood. She didn't know who he was, or what he was like, all she knew was his name as it was sewn into his scarf.

At first it was a little too much for him to take in, and he buried himself in reading for the next week or so while he processed everything, only stopping in order to send notes to Sorey. He loved getting notes from Sorey, and with each one he found himself wanting to be by the human's side, more and more. He wanted to go on all sorts of adventure with him. But more than anything, he wanted to see the human happy.

 

Mikleo quickly read over the note he pulled from the silphjay, a small smile growing on his face. Sorey wanted to see him again. He _missed_ him. Just the very idea of it made his stomach feel funny, but it was the good kind of funny. He folds the paper and slips it into his pocket when he hears footsteps.

"What do you have there, Snowdrop?" Lailah asks him, smiling sweetly.

"Oh, nothing important. Just a note to remind myself to return Melody's knitting needles." He smiles for a brief moment before frowning. "No, that's a lie." He mumbles. "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything."

"I... Met a human in Camlann, and we've kept in touch through silphjays, and I really want to see him again." Mikleo confesses. "Can I go visit him for a few days? Please?"

"A human?" Lailah blinks in surprise. She had no issues with humans, but she would be concerned about any young Seraph being around so many humans for an extended amount of time. But, she knew Mikleo was growing up fast, and that he was chomping at the bit to learn more about the world. And Camlann _is_ rather close. "Promise you'll be careful?" She stifles a laugh when she sees Mikleo's eyes widen, knowing full well he had expected her to say no. The boy beams up at her and quickly nods his head.

"I promise!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meebo meets Muse, learns the truth of his origins, starts developing feelings for Sorey, and for some reason Nomins are dogs in this au.
> 
> Also, True Names can totally be used in the same sense of a parent calling your full name when you're in trouble, fight me on this.


	6. Chapter Five

Leaves crunch under Sorey's feet as he makes his way way home from the library. He had a few books tucked under his arm, and a small frown on his face. He wasn't sad, per se, more... Conflicted, than anything. He hasn't been able to get Mikleo out of his head, his smile, his laugh, the cute little way he snored at night.. He shakes his head of the thought, and continues on his way home. What's even worse is he's been dreaming about the Seraph too. The same kind of dreams he had about Alisha when he first started puberty, only they played out more in the same fashion his mothers novels he had read did.

Images of the water Seraph whining the humans name as he let Sorey do with him as he pleased flash through his mind. His messy white hair framing his face and making him look more angelic than he already was. His milky white skin even paler in contrast of the dark silken sheets he clutched between his fingers, his eyes closed as his mouth hung open, beg--

Sorey nearly drops his books as his face becomes warm as his latest dream about the other plays through his mind. He furiously shakes his head, trying to rid himself of the thought, when the nearby creek catches his eyes.He walks over to the creek, gets on his knees, and sets the books aside. He removes his coat, and simply dunks his head in the cold water, hoping to both cool himself off and remove those images from his mind. Guilt hit him hard. He has Alisha, he shouldn't be dreaming about someone he had only just met. Even if they _had_ been keeping in touch. At least not in _that_ way. Oh, but everything he felt for Alisha, he felt for Mikleo, only it was a much more intense feeling. He comes up for air when he feels someone tap his back.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm cooling off." He answers, going to dunk his head in the water again, only to hit his forehead on some ice. He hisses in pain before he stares at it in confusion.

"The only thing you're doing is setting yourself up to get sick." The brunette looks up to see Mikleo. He had his arms crossed and a look on his face that he couldn't quite figure out. "Honestly, Sorey, what am I going to do with you?" He gives him a cocky grin.

"Mikleo!" Sorey quickly gets to his feet, blinking when the Seraph dries his hair with a simple wave of his hand. "You came back!" He's unable to stop himself, and pulls him into a hug, smiling when it's returned. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." Mikleo says. He sees the books on the ground. "Oh, that reminds me," He pulls away, digging into the bag he had slung over his shoulder and pulls out a book. He grins when Sorey's eyes light up as he inspects the cover. "It's the ancient history of Seraphim and Malakhim, written by Seraphim. I figured you may like to read it from _our_ perspective."

Sorey was bouncing on his heels like an excited child. "Yes. Yes I would, please."

 

Mikleo and Sorey sit on the humans bed as the read. Mikleo reading the local human folk lore, and Sorey the history book he had brought him. Mikleo looks up from the pages of his book when he feels Sorey lean on him, and he can't help but turn a bit pink in the face. 

"So...Artorious Collbrande was the one who first enslaved the Malakhim." Sorey mumbles, frowning deeply. "In our history he lived and died as a hero, for bringing the world to peace, but all this time he was only able to do that on the back of slaves."

"Lord Zenrus told me, he met Artorious once when he was still young." Mikleo hums. "He told me, that Artorious was once a kind, gentle man, who put the needs of others above his own and wanted nothing more than to bring peace to the world. But something happened that changed him into the man in that book." He leans back against the wall, Sorey's head moving to his lap, and neither of them act as if it's out of the ordinary for them. "No one's quite sure what, but it must have been bad, if what Lord Zenrus said about him is true." He ponders, absentmindedly playing with Sorey's hair and feathered earring.

"It still doesn't change the fact that he nearly enslaved an entire race of people." Sorey grumbles as he reads further into the book. "When I travel and become a scholar, I'm going to make sure people know the truth about Artorious."

Mikleo smiles at that. "I'm sure you'll cause quite the stir in the historian community."

"Good."

 

They return to their books, and read into all hours of the night, Sorey only leaving the room to get them something to eat. When Sorey's eyes became to tired to read, he settled on listening to Mikleo talk about Elysia and his family there. He could tell that Mikleo loved them all, even Edna who teased him to no end every chance she got, but he was also frustrated by how they continued to treat him like he was a child still. The only Seraphim who _didn't_ treat him this way, were Zavied and Eizen.

At frist Sorey confused when Mikleo mentioned Eizen, and needed to confirm that he was speaking of the same Eizen he spoke to in the tavern. But when the Seraph confirmed that the, tall, blond haired, and slightly scary looking, man from the tavern was who he was speaking of, the strangers knowledge of the Seraphim suddenly made sense to him. Who better to know about Seraphim than a Seraph?

Just listening to Mikleo talk was enough to make Sorey smile like an idiot. He had such a lovely voice. And the way his eye lit up whenever he mentioned his studies back home, just made his smile wider. He doesn't realize that he's leaning in closer, and closer with each word, gently cupping the Seraphs face with one hand before closing the distance between them.

 

Mikleo freezes at first, unsure how to react, but he soon melts into it, pressing his lips Sorey's with the same gentleness the human had done to him. Sorey's free hand moved to his waist, pulling him closer without breaking the kiss. Mikleo's hands find their way to the humans hair, running his fingers through soft brown locks. Before either of them are aware of it, Mikleo is stradling Sorey's lap, his knees on either side of him, the others arms secured around his waist. He gasps when lips are suddenly on his neck, sucking lightly at the exposed skin there.

Sorey hums, taking in the scent of spring water and grass, as he sucks a mark on his neck. His dreams didn't at all do the water Seraph justice, his skin was much softer, his lips sweeter, his soft moans cuter than he could ever imagine. He continues to kiss at Mikleo's neck, nipping at the skin there and leaving more marks.

He pulls away suddenly, Mikleo letting out a whine at the loss. He looks up at him with sad green eyes. "I'm sorry," He says. "I can't... It's not fair to Alisha." He shouldn't have let it go this far to begin with. But he couldn't stop himself, every second he spent with Mikleo, he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with him. He presses his forehead to his shoulder. "Please don't be mad." He yelps when the side of the Seraphs hand colide with his head.

"Edna's right. Humans _are_ dumb." Is all he says as he removes himself from Sorey's lap to settle on the floor. "Talk to her tomorrow, work out your feelings." He pulls the spare blanket over his lap. "I'll stay by your side, no matter what it is you decide, Sorey." He smiles warmly at the human.

Sorey opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out. He knew what he had to do. He couldn't be with someone if he longed to be with someone else. Closing his mouth he simply smiles at the other, wanting to pull him in for another kiss, but keeping himself from doing so until he's had a chance to talk with Alisha.

"Goodnight, Mikleo."

"Goodnight, Sorey."

 

It was early in the morning and Mikleo wanders around Camlann alone. Sorey had gone to talk to Alisha, and the Seraph decided to take his own advice and work out his feelings for the human. He did care deeply for him, despite only knowing him for a month. Time flowed the same for him as it did for humans, but he knew as he aged that decades to a human would be a week to him. He stops, shivering as the cold autumn wind ruffles his hair. He wanted to be with Sorey for as long as he could. But only if Sorey would have him. 

Mikleo looks up, finding that he had wandered to someone's house. He must have been lost in thought and not paid attention to where he was going. He looks up at the house, it was a tad old, but till in good shape, with bushes all long front of it. There's a swing hanging from a tree, and it looked as if it hadn't been touched in years. Unable to stop himself, Mikleo steps up to the swing and sits down, closing his hands around the ropes and pushing himself with his legs. He's closes his eyes, perfectly content.

That is until he hears barking.

It was that dog again, running up to him, jumping on him, and knocking him off the swing. Mikleo stands slowly as the dog circles him before he begins nipping at his ankles to get him to move. The Seraph whines in distress, but he doesn't freeze this time, he tries to get away from him, but only winds up cornered on the front porch of the house as the dog licks at his face. 

"Atakk!" The dog's collar is seized, and this time he leaves Mikleo be without protest. The Seraph looks up to the woman, Muse, as she scolds the dog. "Bad! Bad dog." She shoos him off the porch and turns back to Mikleo. "Hello again."

"Hi." He stands up, wiping his sleeve. "I'm sorry, I was takng a walk and the next thing I knew I was here."

Muse laughs lightly. "It's quite alright, but we really need to stop meeting like this." She smiles kindly at him.

"Yes." He nods his head. "Well... I need to be off, I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you." He steps off the porch. "Have a nice day."

Muse watches the boy step away. Her stomach ties into a knot. "Mikleo, wait!" Mikleo freezes, and turns back to face the human woman with wide eyes. "Would... You like some tea?"

 

Sorey stands on Alisha's front porch, one hand in his pocket and the other curled into a fist. He things over what he was going to say to her, then takes a deep breath. He raises his hand to knock but the door opens and he's face to face with the girl he came to see. She blinks in surprise.

"Sorey! I was just getting ready to come see you." She says. She doesn't smile as she says this, which lets Sorey know she has something on her mind as well. "We.. Need to talk." She steps outside and leads him to the chairs on the porch. They sit in silence as they both struggle to speak.

"I kissed Rose." Alisha admits finally. Sorey blinks at her, and her cheeks turn pink. She look away. "I'm sorry, Sorey. I've been having these feelings for her lately and I know I shouldn't have, and that it's unfair to you, but I... I really like her, Sorey." 

"Alisha." Sorey stands and steps closer to her. "I understand completely how you feel." He smiles kindly. "I've started to have feelings for Mikleo and... I kissed him last night and..." He trails off, rubbing the back of his neck

"It felt right." Alisha finishes for him a she stands. "So... What do we do now?"

"Break up, I guess." They stand there awkwardly. "I'll always care about, Alisha." He says. "You're one of my dearest friends, and this past year will always be special to me." 

"I couldn't have said so better myself." Alisha smiles, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Good luck with Mikleo, Sorey. Make him happy."

Sorey grins, his eyes sparkling. "I plan to." No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We start the new year off with nerds falling in love :0


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to everyone who's read so far! All the kudos and comments mean a lot to me.

Mikleo sits anxiously at the kitchen table, watching as the woman moves about the kitchen, making him some tea. She knew his name. Sorey had deliberately given her a wrong name, but she still new his actual name. He glances around the kitchen, it was plain, a few decorative plates hung on the wall, but that was about it. He looks back to the woman when she places a plate with a some cookies with jam in the centers on the table.

Muse smiles at him, silently telling him to help himself before she turns back to the kettle on the stove. The Seraph hesitates for a second before taking one with a light colored filling and biting into it. His eyes light up at the apple flavor of the jam, that same nostalgic feeling he felt when he first met the woman flooding back to him. He finishes the cookie a she sets a tea cup in front of him before sitting across from him.

"They're really good," Mikleo says with a smile. 

"Thank you," Muse thanks him as she puts a sugar cube into her cup.

They sit there for a few minutes, the sound of the clock around the corner seeming much louder than it should be due to the silence. Mikleo takes a sip of his tea, it was too hot for his tastes, so he leaves it to cool just a little longer. "You're... You were my mother." He says suddenly. "Weren't you?"

"I believe so, yes." Muse answers. "You've become a Seraphim, haven't you?"

Mikleo's eyes widen at this. Not many humans knew about Seraphim aside from folk lore. The only human he knew to know more than that was Sorey, but that was only from what he and Eizen had told him. "Yes." He gives her a curt nod. "And... I'm sorry, but, I can't remember anything from before I gained my sense of self."

Muse shakes her head. "It's alright." She smiles warmly at him. "You're alive, that's all that matters now." There was still sadness in her eyes. "You've grown into a hansom young man, Mikleo. I'm glad you got a second chance."

His face flushes, and he take a quick drink of his tea, earning a small laugh from the woman. "Can you... Tell me about before? When I was human?" He heard all sorts of stories from Sorey about the adventures they would have, but hearing them from someone else who was once in his life interested him.

"Well, you were always an adventurous little thing, always going on big adventures with Sorey. Micheal, my brother, would set up scavenger hunts for the two of you, and you'd always be so upset that Sorey would beat you." Muse smiles fondly. "You would always help me in the kitchen, baking sweets was your favorite. You were so excited to share the first batch of cookies you made on your own with everyone you could." She runs her finger along the rim of her cup. "Oh, would you like to see your old room?"

Mikleo hesitates before nodding his head. He wanted to learn more about who he was before, just to help get rid of the questions that he's been asking himself ever since Lailah told him of his origins. He follows Muse through the house, the old wood floor creaking under their feet as they make their way to a door at the end of the hall. He steps inside when the door is opened for him, his eyes scanning the room.

Bookshelves lined the walls, all of them with filled with well worn books. There was a desk under the window, with pens and some paper on it's surface. He steps up to the desk, examining the papers there. They were filled with childish handwriting, that he could easily make out, and he finds himself smiling at the sight. So, his human self liked writing too, did he?

 

"You spent a lot of time reading and writing," Muse says. "When your health wouldn't let you venture to far from your room, you'd stay in here and read until your eyes were just to tired to focus. Then Micheal would come and read the latest chapter of his book to you until you fell asleep." 

Mikleo smiles softly, feeling sad that he couldn't remember the life he had here, but it was obvious to him that he was loved as a human. Not to say that he isn't loved _now_ , but, it's nice to know that he had a caring family in his former life. He was slightly curious of her comment about his health, but chooses not to pry. It was common for human children to get sick quite often, according to the books he read and from what Zaveid told him.

 

Mikleo and Muse spend a good half hour talking about the time he was human, and he was surprised to learn that not much about him had changed. It was actually rather comforting, that despite so much happening, that he was still the same deep down. Even if he can't remember any of it.

 

"Thank you for this," Mikleo says with a smile. "It means a lot to me."

"I should be thanking you," Muse admits, looking away. "Just seeing you, talking to you... I know you're someone new now, and that you'll never be the same as when your were human, but just knowing that you've been given another chance at life gives me closure." She looks back to him with a kind smile. "Thank you, Mikleo."

Mikleo, slightly taken aback by her statement, simply blinks before returning the smile. He could still see the sadness in her eyes, not that he could blame her. Having her son within her grasp but still so far out reach must be hard for her. "I would like to come back and talk some more... If that's okay with you."

Muse's smile grows. "I'd like that too."

 

Sorey walks around town, searching high and low for the missing water Seraph. He wasn't at the library, or the tavern, or anywhere he could think of to look for him. He was starting to worry that he was overwhelmed by their kiss, and that he had decided to return to Elysia without saying goodbye. But those worries soon faded away when he spots the other just up the road. He Jogs up to him, raising an eyebrow at how disheveled his hair was.

"What happened? Are you alright?" He saw tears prickling Mikleo's eyes, and notices how red his cheeks were. "You're not hurt are you?"

"No, no, I'm fine. It's just..." Mikleo pauses to wipe at his face. " _That dog_ \--" He flicks his wrist as if shaking water from his hands. "He wouldn't let me leave and now my face is all sticky from his slobber." He complains with a pout. "I don't like dogs, Sorey."

 

"Wouldn't let you leave... Wait, did you go to Muse and Micheal's house?"

Mikleo blinks. "Yes," He answers. "Though I'm not quite sure how I got there... Maybe it was subconscious?" He ponders, a hand to his chin. "Perhaps I subconsciously knew the way there because it was once my home." 

"Your home..." Sorey repeats, a small smile forming on his face. He knew it wasn't all a coincidence. Even though the Mikleo he had grown up with was gone, there was a new Mikleo for him to spend even more time with. To maybe go on grand adventures with, to see travel and experience everything they could together, side by side. For as long as they possibly could.

"Did you sort things out with Alisha?" Mikleo asks, pulling Sorey from his thoughts.

The human nods his head. "Yes I did. Turns out, she has feelings for Rose so we decided it was best for us stop dating so we could both be happy." His cheeks flush suddenly. "About last night, I'm sorry I let it get that far or if I made you uncomfortable."

"I wasn't uncomfortable, Sorey. I..." Mikleo blushes pink, and looks away. "Liked it." He mumbles under his breath. He wants to do it again, but, unsure if the middle of the road would be wise or not.

The two stand in the middle of the dirt road awkwardly, avoiding eye contact by looking anywhere else than at each other. Sorey stuffs his hands into his pocket before breaking the silence. "Would you like to go get some lunch? They have roasted rappig at the tavern today."

"Like... A date?" Mikleo asks, still avoiding eye contact.

"I-If you want it to be." Sorey's voice cracks as he too avoids making eye contact.

"Okay then. Yes. I would," They finally look at one another, and both grin ear to ear.

 

A few days later, Mikleo and Sorey watch from the window as snow falls from the sky. The first snow of the year, for that matter. It was coming down hard too, which would most likely make the Seraph's journey home more difficult. He feels the human place a hand on his, placing his head on his shoulder. Their relationship was teeter-tottering between 'Just Friends Who Sometimes Make Out'--as Rose puts it-- and 'Lovers'. Everything felt natural to Mikleo when he was with Sorey; the hand holding, the goodnight kisses, and the way the human cuddled him in his sleep, it all felt right. He smiles softly, closing his eyes to see if he can't manipulate the snow flakes in some way. He hears Sorey gasp and opens his eyes, finding all he was able to do was freeze the window solid.

"I still need practice..." Mikleo mumbles. He's been trying to manipulate snow flakes every winter for as long as he could remember, but try as he might he just ends up freezing things around him. 

"You'll get the hang of it," Sorey tells him. "Put your mind too it and there's nothing you can't handle."

"You sound like Lailah." Mikleo flicks one of Sorey's feathered earrings. "I'd love for you to meet her, Sorey. She's really nice."

"Well, Maybe one day I can go to Elysia with you?" He suggests, reaching to pull the blanket from his bed around them more. "I'd love to see what your home is like."

"Lord Zenrus doesn't want humans in our realm." Mikleo tells him. "Even _before_ Artorious' rise to power, he wasn't fond of the idea."

"Oh..." Sorey pouts a little. "That's a shame." He sees Mikleo yawn into his hand, and switches their positions so Mikleo was resting on him. "It's really coming down, isn't it?" He mumbles, the ice on the window thawing just enough to let them see out of it.

"Going back is going to be difficult..." Mikleo says with a sigh. He feels Sorey tightens his hold on him.

"Don't go." He says. "At least not until it stops snowing. Please."

"But--" Mikleo goes to protest, but stops himself. It was snowing like this when his human self was lost to the forest. "Alright. But I need to send a Silphjay to Lailah. I don't want her to worry again."

Sorey kisses the top of Mikleo's hair. "Thank you."

 

Mikleo gazes out of the window as Sorey mumbles about ancient ruins and the like in his sleep. He presses his forehead against the cold glass, watching as snow continues to flutter down from the sky. It was snowing just like this when he was born, that's why Lailah calls him 'Snowdrop', after the flower that symbolizes hope, and new beginnings. He laughs lightly at how fitting to his situation the petname was as he continues to watch the snow. He didn't dislike it, but he no longer liked it either. Not after learning how much pain it had caused Sorey and Muse.

Muse was too nice of a woman to have to go through what she did, and Sorey... 

Mikleo doesn't want to imagine what he went through. Mikleo looks back at the human, and kisses the corner of his mouth before lying back down. He smiles when Sorey mumbles his name, turning over in order to pull the Seraph close to him, rubbing his cheek on his hair.

"Mmmikleo," Sorey calls out in his sleep, his words slurred. "Love you. Sooo much."

Mikleo smiles softly, warmth spreading through him as he curls up closer to Sorey. "I love you too, Sorey."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still bitter over the Mikleo and Muse interactions in the game (I mean, given the fact he was a baby the last time she saw him, it's unlikely she recognized him when they did meet, but still.), but i still failed to do them much justice in this chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> Things will start to get interesting soon, I promise.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the new chapter ! I hope you all enjoy it.

Lailah watches from afar as Mikleo sends out a silphjay to the human back in Camlann, Sorey his name was, it was clear to her that he longed to be with him. When practicing his artes, he unfocused, and instead put most of his time into writing letters to the human, or reading ancient history books. Not that she could blame him, it was winter, and one of the worst one's they've seen in ages, and he didn't like traveling in this type of weather, so he hasn't seen the human in two months, and most likely wont be able to until spring. When he wasn't reading, writing, or training, he was following Eizen around like a lost pup, asking him all sorts of questions about humans and their history, the elder gladly telling him everything he knew.

"What about human courtship?" Mikleo asks the elder Seraph one day, eyes bright with curiosity. 

"Well," Eizen lowers his glass. "There are many ways humans court each other, and it varies from person to person, so I can't really give you a straight answer."

"I see, I see." Mikleo nods his head. "Can you tell me at what point does the 'love making' aspect come to play?" He blinks when Eizen simply chokes on his drink.

"I..." He catches his breath. "Why are you asking about--" His eyes widen with realization. "You're not in love with a human, are you?" Mikleo doesn't answer, simply looking away with a small smile on his face, confirming his suspicion. "Mikleo," Eizen sighs. "You know that you're just setting yourself up for pain, don't you?"

"I know." Mikleo turns back to him. "But I'll worry about that later. I want to enjoy the time I have with him now. In a hundred years from now, when he's gone, I want to be able to look back at that time with fondness, not sadness."

"I can admire that." They fall silent for a moment. "But why ask me? I'm sure Zaveid knows about... That."

"I did ask him, and he went into more detail than I would have liked..." The younger clears his throat. "He told me to ask you for more because you had a relationship with a human once, didn't you?"

Eizen can't help but smile fondly. "Aye. A long, _long_ time ago. But I can't help you." He raises a hand to stop the other from protesting. "I can't help you because every human is different. I can almost promise you that the boy you're interested in, is _very_ different than her."

 

Since then, Mikleo only went to Eizen when he had a question about the history of the human realm, fascinated by everything he had to say, always asking more and more questions each time they spoke. He didn't ask anymore questions about courtship of any kind, and simply returned to his reading and training; though he was still unfocused. 

Mikleo reads Sorey's latest letter with a fond smile on his face. He was sitting on a log near the river, the silphjay perched on his shoulder as it preens while snow falls around him. 

"Is he doing well?" He looks up to Lailah as she approaches him, her usual motherly smile on her face. 

"Yes," Mikleo answers, scooting over on his log so she could sit with him. He leans on her side once she's seated. "He's taken up poetry."

Lailah hums, simply running her fingers through his hair. She holds out her hand to attempt to catch the falling snow, but the flakes merely melt when it touches her skin. She watches from the corner of her eye as Mikleo carefully folds the paper and puts it in his pants pocket before pulling another, blank sheet o f paper out. She smiles when he begins folding the paper into a crane, just as he used to do when he was younger. 

So much has changed over the years; he's grown so much since she found him all those years ago. No longer did he follow her everywhere, or run to her and grab onto her hand or skirts when frightened. He was independent now, and had such a thirst for adventure she knew it was only a matter of time before he sets off. And with the way he's been with this human, that time was just around the corner.

"Lailah?" Mikleo calls, pulling her from her thoughts. "Why are you crying?"

Lailah blinks, unaware she was crying until she touched her cheeks. "Oh, it's nothing, Snowdrop. The cold air just agrivates my eyes, is all." She wipes her eyes, and gives him a reassuring smile. "Now, Sorey's poetry... How is it?"

 

Sorey taps his pencil against the counter, his chin rested in his other hand as he stares at the blank sheet of paper before him. With a frustrated groan, he slumps over the counter. He had gotten a job at the store run by Rose's foster father, and today he was left in charge. He wanted to see Mikleo again, but he didn't want him to travel when the weather was so predictable. He would never, ever forgive himself if Mikleo got again hurt because of him.

He was lonely without the Seraph around, Rose and Alisha were officially dating, and he wanted to give them privacy. He only really got to see Rose when they worked the same hours, and when Alisha wasn't with Rose she was at home tending to her father, yes she'd stop by and bring them both some lunch, but that was all he really got to see of her these days. His mother was busy at the tavern as always, even more so now, having bought it when the previous owner passed away a month ago.

Sorey sighs deeply and begins doodling on his paper, wishing for winter would end already and he'd get to see Mikleo again soon. He looks up when the bell rings, and smiles at the man who enters.

"Micheal, welcome." Sorey greets him. "Here for the usual?"

"Yes please," The man nods, getting his money together as Sorey ducks behind the counter to get his order; some typewriter ribbon and stack of paper. "Oh, I also need some milk, eggs, and flour. Muse has started baking again, you see."

"Is she baking a cake?"

"Yes. It's nice to see her this happy again." Micheal scans the shelves with his eyes as Sorey bags up the purchase. "It's been so long..." He sighs, and pays for the items. "By the way, your father was disappointed you didn't accompany me to Pendrago."

Sorey scoffs as he puts the money in the register. "No he wasn't."

"Sorey, he wants to be part of your life." 

"Then why didn't he try to be when he was still living here?" Sorey challenges. "He never made an effort then, so why does he care now?" He looks up to Micheal when he puts a hand on his head.

"Georg may not have been an ideal father or husband, but he does care about you, Sorey. Even if he doesn't outwardly show it." He smiles at the younger. "Give him a chance."

".... Yeah."

 

Weeks had passed and Spring had finally sprung, the pleasant, warm weather foretelling of a hot summer. The snow long since melted, flowers bloomed, and trees were sporting new leaves. Humans and Seraphim alike were enjoying the change of season, making the best of the weather.

Sorey was practically bouncing off the walls as he tidies up his room, Mikleo's last letter said he was coming to stay with him for a while, longer than a few days, and he was ecstatic to say the least. His mother new about their situation, and was all for having a house guest, so long as he pitched in with the chores. He had nothing at all planned to do with the Seraph, but just being with him was enough for him. Once satisfied with the state of his room, he quickly heads down stairs and out the door.

Mikleo had said he'd arrive in Camlann by noon, it was eleven thirty now so he still had enough time to drop by work and collect his weekly pay so he could treat the Seraph to dinner later. The bell to the store rings as he steps in.

"Wel--" Rose's voice catches in her throat when she sees Sorey. "Oh, it's just you. I suppose you want your money, huh?"

"Yes please Miss Manager." Sorey grins at her. He looks at the items on the shelves behind her. He hums. "I want to get Mikleo something... What do you think he'd like?"

"Well, he's into all the same nerd shit you are, right? So get him something nerdy." Rose suggests as she counts out his pay. 

"Yeah, but I want to get him something special..." Sorey puts his knuckles to his mouth as his eyes scan the shelves for anything the water Seraph would like. His eyes light up suddenly and he leans over the counter. "That's it!"

 

Mikleo steps out of the forest, looking around before darting to the road to make it look as though he was coming from another nearby town. Lailah was... Uncharacteristically sad when he left just a few short hours ago. She didn't tell him when to come home, in fact she told him to come home when he was ready, and to stay safe, all while handing him a bag with some extra clothes. He wasn't all to sure how long he was going to stay this time, maybe however long Sorey was willing to have him.

"Mikleo!" The sound of his name pulls him from his thoughts. He looks up to see Sorey jogging up to him, throwing his arms around him the second they could reach him. "I've m--" He's cut off when Mikleo pulls him into a kiss.

Mikleo kisses him deep, wrapping his arms around his neck, as Sorey pulls him closer by the belts on his waist.. He pulls back after a few moments, Sorey needing to breath much sooner than he did. "I've missed you." He breaths out, their noses pressed together. His bag was long forgotten on the ground, just as the parcel Sorey had been carrying.

Sorey blinks down at the Seraph, trying so hard not to melt at the way he stroked the back of his neck. "I've missed you too," He links his fingers with the other. He gives Mikleo a quick peck on the lips, reaching down to pick up his dropped parcel and the Seraph's bag.

 

"How's your job doing?" Mikleo asks as Sorey fixes some sandwiches for the two of them.

'It's doing great, actually. I think in a few more weeks, I'll have enough saved to go to Pendrago." Sorey answers. "Oh, that reminds me," He dashes out of the room, Mikleo hearing him move around upstairs for a moment before returning with the parcel from earlier. "I got you a present." He smiles brightly as he hands it to him.

'You didn't have too," Mikleo looks at Sorey, taking the item from him. "I know how important it is to you to go to Pendrago, you shouldn't have spent--"

"I wanted too," Sorey cuts him off. "Please, open it."

"How can I say no to that?" Mikleo chuckles and opens the gift. He blinks at the leather bound book, a design of a compass on the cover, and key attatched to a chain. He pulls the book from the box, taking the key and unlocking it to flip through it's blank pages. There was a world map on the very first page, and the journal was fairly old, as evident by the yellowing of the pages. He runs his fingers over the paper, a smiling as he does. "It's beautiful, Sorey. Thank you."

"I know you like to write, so when I saw it, I knew it was perfect."

"I love it." Mikleo closes the book, locking it, hugging it to his chest. "Thank you, so much." He frowns a little. "I wish I had something to give you in return..."

"You don't have to give me anything," Sorey kisses his forehead. "You're here now, that's more than enough for me."

 

Later that night, both boys are lying on the bed reading, Mikleo's head on Sorey's chest as the human reads a history book about Pendrago. Rolance was so rich in history, so of course Sorey wanted to study there for a while before traveling the world. Mikleo's eyes slip closed as he listens to Sorey's heartbeat, smiling as his hand rubs at his back. 

"Will you come to Pendrago with me?" Sorey asks suddenly, looking down at him as he opens his eyes.

"I'll go anywhere with you," Mikleo answers, sitting up when Sorey sets the book aside. "As long as you want me too."

Sorey smiles warmly, cuping the Seraphs face to pull him in for a kiss. "Always. " He kisses him again. "I wanna see the world with you." and gain, "I love you." and again. 

 

Before Sorey could fully register what was happening, he was on his back with Mikleo straddling him. He goes to speak, but is silenced by a kiss. His hands find their way under Mikleo's shirt, gripping at his waist as the Seraph's hands run grip his hair. 

It isn't long before they're both shirtless, their positions reversed, and Sorey is leaving marks all across Mikleo's collar bone. "Mikleo," He kisses up to his pulse point, pausing to suck there briefly. "How far do you want to go?" Even as he asks this, his hands move lower, and lower; fingers slipping beneath the waistband of the others trousers.

Mikleo hesitates to answer, earning a concerned look from the human above him. This was part of human courtship, how they expressed love, that's why it's called 'love making', at least that's what the books and Zaveid had told him, but still, he was uncertain. "As far as you want."

Sorey's eyebrows furrow at the way Mikleo's voice cracks. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Mikleo answers after hesitating once again, adding a quick 'I think' under his breath, giving Sorey the best confident look he can. A kiss is pressed to his forehead.

"You don't have to push yourself, Mikleo." Sorey pulls away from him and smiles. He moves from his position of straddling the Seraph to sitting on the edge of the bed. "Not for my sake."

"But..." Mikleo sits up. "Isn't this how humans show their love for each other...?" Did Sorey not love him that way? Were the books wrong? Either way, he felt incredibly stupid right now.

The sadness in his voice makes Sorey feel incredibly guilty. "We don't need to have sex to love each other, Mikelo." He says. "I'm so sorry if I made you feel like we had too."

"But--" Lavender eyes turn wide when a hand is clasped over his mouth to silence him.

"If you really want to have sex, we can. But only when you're ready." Sorey lets the Seraph remove his hand from his mouth.

"I thought I was ready... I'm sorry." What if he never was ready? Would Sorey stay with him then? What if by the time he was ready, Sorey was gone? So many questions ran through his mind all at once, but they become silent when Sorey speaks again.

"There's nothing to apologize for, it's okay." He smiles. "It doesn't matter if you're ready today, tomorrow, next year, or even if you never are. I'll still love you. No matter what."

Mikleo simply stares at the human, a soft smile forming on his face. "I love you, Sorey. I really do." He takes the humans hands in his own. "Can I..." He hesitates. "Can I give you something?" He waits until he sees Sorey nod, before leaning forward to whisper in his ear.

Sorey's eyebrows furrow in mild confusion. "Luzrov... Rulay?" He repeats.

At first the Seraph says nothing, but then he turns a bright shade of red and hides his face in his hands. "It's nice when you say it." He says, voice muffled by his hands. Sorey could tell he was smiling, just by the way he spoke.

"What does it mean?" Sorey tilts his head like a confused dog.

"Mikleo the Enforcer," He lowers his hands. "It's my true name." He smiles warmly at Sorey. 

Sorey knew enough from the book Mikleo brought him that a Seraph's true name was special. The very idea that Mikleo trusted him, _loved_ him enough to share it with him, made his heart swell with happiness. He leans forward and kisses him again.

"Thank you, Mikleo."


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone !! I'm really sorry for how long the new chapter took me. I had some writers block and then Devilman took over my life. BUT HERE IT IS, CHAPTER EIGHT, please enjoy and thanks to everyone for the kudo's and comments.

Sorey stands on a ladder as he stocks the top shelves, Rose handing him the items from the floor. It was a slow day, only one costumer, an old woman who just wanted some cat food, and the two were putting their time to good use by doing busy work around the store. The bell rings, and Sorey looks over the top of the shelf and smiles.

"Mikleo!" His eyes lights up at the sight of his boyfriend. "I'll be down in a minute, alright?"

"Take your time." Mikleo smiles. "Hello, Rose, how are you today?"

"I'm doing just great," She grins and eyes the bag in his arms. "Got anything in that goodie bag for me?" Her eyes light up when Mikleo places the bag on the counter and pulls out two curry buns. "Nice. Sorey, it's lunch time." She takes the buns as Sorey gets down from the ladder.

"I'll be back in half an hour."

"'Kay!"

 

Sorey and Mikleo sit on the bench just outside the store, eating in silence. It's been a week and a half since Mikleo returned to Camlann, and he has since been employed at his mothers tavern, cleaning tables and helping to serve food and drink. This worked out well for the Seraph as they couldn't spend much time with each other when Sorey had to work, and he was restless when left alone. Muse worked there part time as well, so they were able to see each other more often. But Mikleo always spent his lunch breaks with Sorey, no matter what.

"Hey, Sorey?"

"Hm?"

"Remember those ruins I told you about? The ones in the forest?" Mikleo looks at Sorey, cleaning the corner of the humans mouth with a thumb. Sorey nods, his mouth full of food, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunks. "Would you like to explore them sometime?" He knows the ruins have probably been picked clean of any treasure, but Sorey's love for history would still make it worth while. He knew that come summer, when Sorey left for Pendrago, they wouldn't have the chance, and as Lailah says, there's no better time than the present.

Sorey swallows what's in his mouth. "I would love too." He gives him a wide smile. "When can we go?"

"Whenever you want, but it'll take a few days I think, they're hidden pretty deep in the forest."

"I have the weekend and Monday off, will that be long enough?"

"Should be, yes." Mikleo nods, taking a bite of his curry bun. He smiles when Sorey starts bouncing in his seat with excitement, going on and on about what they should need for their upcoming adventure.

 

It was early Saturday morning when the set off for the ruins, Mikleo acting as Sorey's guide through the forest once they were passed his usual hunting grounds. They were prepared for a three day expedition, Sorey had packed more than enough food for them both, some rope, a tent, two sleeping bags, a first aid kit, and a shotgun should they run into any trouble. Mikleo on the other hand, had packed only the journal Sorey had given him so he could record their adventure. He didn't need to eat, but with the amount Sorey had packed, he knew he'd end up eating some so it wouldn't go the waste. Sorey was sure to tell his mother the two of them were going off for a few days, saying it was a fishing a trip and that he and Mikleo would be home Monday night at the latest.

"You know... I never realized the forest was this dense before." Sorey muses. "I can see why it's so easy for someone to get lost..." 

Mikleo simply hums in acknowledgement, reaching behind him to hold Sorey's hand so they don't get separated. "There was a time that this forest didn't exist, that it was just a waste land without a single tree in sight." He says. "But then Moatelus gave his blessing to the land, and now we have the forest."

"Really? Sorey blinks, looking up at the tree tops, squinting as the sunlight pours through the leaves. "That's hard to imagine, really." He smiles. "Nature's amazing, it really--" He's cut off when he walks right into the Seraph. "Mikleo?" He doesn't receive and answer. "Mikleo what's the matter?" He follows Mikleo's gaze.

_Oh._

 

The body of a hunter lies a few yards away, clutching a gun with a look of horror permanently on his face. Sorey closes his eyes and silently prays for the hunters family, while Mikleo focuses on feeling another domain. When he feels none, he opens his eyes and sighs deeply.

"He must have crossed paths with a hellion," Mikleo says, taking in the sight of broken branches and claw marks on the trees nearby.

"We should burry him."

 

Mikleo watches as Sorey sets up a cross shaped grave marker for the hunter, planting it at the head of the grave. He wasn't at all familiar with how humans dealt with death, as in the event when a Seraphim dies, they burst into particles of light before fading away into nothing. But humans, they were different; when they die their body is left behind to decompose over time. He watches Sorey stand and bow his head again, this time he follows suit out of respect.

They silently walk away from the grave, both on much higher alert, Sorey's hand wrapped around his shotgun and Mikleo having summoned his staff should the hellion that took this hunters life still be around. Sorey stops and looks over his shoulder, a feeling of unease washing over him. He says nothing and takes Mikleo's arm, pulling him closer to him as they press onward.

 

They stop for lunch, eating silently under a tree. There was a small creek nearby, and Mikleo was busy manipulating the water rather than eat, staring blankly ahead, lost in thought. 

That was going to be Sorey someday, lifeless and left to rot in the dirt. It made his stomach churn, he didn't want that to happen to him, he didn't want him to die. Humans were so frail compared to the Seraphim, anything could happen at any moment and he'd be gone. The water under his control splashes back into the creek, and the next thing he knew, Sorey was holding him in his arms. A thumb runs over his cheek as a kiss is placed to his forehead.

"It's alright," He tells him, and that's when Mikleo realizes he was crying.

"No, it's not." Mikleo wipes his eyes on his sleeve. "One day you'll end up like him and I hate it." He feels Sorey hold him tighter. "I hate it so much, I don't _want_ you to end up like that. All alone in the dirt... It's awful."

"That won't happen for a long time, not until I'm an old man. I promise." Sorey smiles at him.

Mikleo looks up at him, he knew full well there was no way he could keep that promise, but he was just trying to make him feel better. He says nothing, and simply presses his forehead to his shoulder. 

Humans really are dumb.

 

It's late in the afternoon when they arrive at the hidden ruins, Sorey quickly creates a makeshift torch and lights it so they could see what's in front of them. Mikleo let Sorey take the lead, smiling as he started going on about the architecture as they walk. Torches line the wall, and Sorey lights them as they make their way further into the ruins, their footsteps echoing with each step on the stone floor. At some point, Sorey hands the torch to Mikleo as he begins feeling around one of the walls.

"What are you doing?"

"This wall is different from the others. Like it's made from a different type of stone." Sorey answers. His hand brushes against a stone and he presses on it. 

At first all they hear is a rumbling from behind the wall, but before they can react the floor caves in under their feet and they fall into the darkness. Mikleo quickly summons his staff and casts an arte around Sorey, much to the humans confusion. Pain spreads through Sorey's backside when he collides with the ground, and he falls back in the small pool of water he landed in. If not for Mikleo's quick thinking, he'd be seriously hurt. He looks up Mikleo, who lands much more gracefully in the pool than he did, extending his hand to the human.

"Are you alright?" He asks, eyeing Sorey up and down with concern.

"Yeah..." Sorey takes his hand and stands up. "I'm alright." He rubs at his backside and looks up to where they fell from. "... Now what?"

"I suppose we try and find an alternate way out." Mikleo says with a shrug. "At least there's some light down here."

Sorey blinks. He was right, there were holes in the walls and ceiling, allowing sunlight to pour through, and giving the ruins enough light for them to easily make out their surroundings. Oddly enough there was plant life growing here as well, tree roots cracked the stone floor, vines and flowers growing through the cracks. A crumbling statue stood in the center of the room, ivy over taking it, and making it hard to make out many of it's features. But what stood out to Sorey the most, was an altar with a sheathed sword resting on it.

"What is this place?" Sorey asks, stepping up to the altar.

"I can't say," He answers. "I don't think anyone's found this place before..." He pulls out the journal and unlocks it. "This is quite the find." He starts writing, pausing every now and then to take in his surroundings. 

Sorey takes the sword from the alter an unsheathes it, amazed to find it in perfect condition. It was rather decorative, made from bronze if he had to guess, and probably used only for ceremonies, but still he found himself swinging it about. That same uneasy feeling he had in the forest hits him again, and he turns to Mikleo, who was lost in his own little world writing away. His eyes widen when something suddenly lunges for the Seraph.

"Mikleo!"

This causes him to whirl around, narrowly dodging the hellions attack with a quick side step. Snapping his book closed, he summons his staff, using it to knock the hellion back with a strong torrent of water. This hellion was different then the one they faced before; it was the size of a large dog, and spider like with eight legs. Sorey shoots at the hellion, and just like before the bullets do nothing but anger it. It lunges at him, and he quickly cuts it down with the sword.

The spider writhes on the floor, only for Mikleo to knock it into one of the pools of water with his staff. The hellion screeches, thrashing about in the water before the Seraph freezes it, effectively trapping it beneath the ice. Both boys sigh in relief before turning to face each other.

"Are you alright?" Mikleo asks. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" He examines the human for any injuries.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Sorey can't help but laugh as the Seraph moves around him, poking at him to be sure. "What about you? That thing came at you from nowhere."

"I was able to dodge it in time," Mikleo answers, eyes scanning the area. "We need to be on our guard, there could be more."

The two wander around the ruins, looking for an exit, stopping periodically to examine the ancient text and murals on the walls. The murals depicted events from a time long past, so long ago they weren't covered in any history books, or if they were, it wasn't in any they had read. And the text, while Sorey could read the ancient tongue, everything he read was nonsensical, so Mikleo simply copied what he could down in his journal.

 

"What do you think it means?" Sorey asks, holding up the torch he had lit for Mikleo to see better. The two were examining a rather strange symbol that was in many of the murals.

"I don't know," He answers, his eyes darting between the symbol and to his journal as he draws it to the best of his abilities. "Once we're back in Camlann, we should go to the library and see if we can find this symbol."

"I bet Micheal knows..." Sorey mumbles. "He's written quite a few books about ancient history, I'd be surprised if he didn't."

"Perhaps some of the elder Seraphim know too..." Mikleo hums, closing the book. "Let's carry on, shall we?"

 

Soon, the two decide to set up a small camp for the night. With the trees and plant life growing down here, it wasn't hard to find firewood, and they soon had a nice little fire going to keep them warm.

"You know, I'm starting to think this may have been a place of worship once." Sorey says between bites. "Those arches we passed through not to long ago, they're very similar to the ones used in old churches and temples." 

"It's plausable," Mikleo nods, flicking through his journal and going over his notes. "But until we can decipher any of this text, there's no way of knowing." He closes the book and takes some of the prickle boar jerky Sorey had packed. He sees Sorey's shoulders tense from the corner of his eye. "What's the matter?" He turns to look in the direction the human was.

"I feel like something's following us." The brunette says, whispering. "Ever since we buried that hunter, I haven't been able to shake the feeling." He stares back to they way they came before shaking his head. "I'm just being paranoid, that's all."

Mikleo looks at Sorey with concern. He takes his hand and squeezes. "It's alright. If anything's after us, I'll keep you safe." He smiles when Sorey simply kisses his knuckles. 

"I'll keep you safe, too."


	10. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pro Tip: Listen to 'A Million Dreams' from the Greatest Showman while reading this chapter. Idk why, but it works well and it's what I primarily listened to while writing it.

Mikleo looks down at Sorey as he slept, smiling to himself as the human mumbles in his sleep. With Sorey's head resting in his lap, Mikleo leans against the stone wall behind him, running his fingers through tangled brown hair. He looks around the room for anything suspicious, just in case they _were_ being followed like Sorey feels they are. He summons his staff, just to be on the safe side, and closes his eyes to get some rest.

 

Come morning, having made sure the fire was completely out, the two were back to exploring the ruins and learning all they could. Sorey was convinced they were once a place of worship that were simply taken over by nature over the course of hundreds, if not thousands of years.

"Maybe they worshiped gods that have been forgotten over the course of time?" Sorey ponders aloud. "Or, maybe they worshiped a god we still know of, but had a different name for them?" His eys light up with excitement. "Or--" A hand is placed over his mouth

"Shh," Mikleo puts a finger to his lips to shush him. "Listen."

Sorey blinks, but closes his eyes to concentrate on listening to whatever Mikleo was hearing. It takes him a few seconds, but he can soon hear the pitter patter of rain hitting stone. "An exit." He says, voice muffled by the Seraphs hand.

They smile at one another before following the sound of the rain, moving through the maze like corridors as the sound gets louder and louder, and soon, they see light. Sorey comes to a halt just under before the ruins open up to the outside, gazing at the scene before him. 

Fallen pillars of what used to be a temple littered the ground, over taken with moss and other forms of plant life, the ground itself seemed to have crumbled away over the course of who knows how long, and had become filled with water, be it from rain or another, unknown source. The broken pillars and what was once a stone floor served as stepping stones to a large stair case that lead to the top of the structure before them.

Mikleo is quick to step into the rain, smiling contently as it drips off his hair and finger tips. Sorey watches with a fond smile as the Seraph tilt his head back, smiling as he quickly becomes soaked. He turns to Sorey, smiling gleefully, and holds out his hand to him.

"Come on!" He calls over the rain.

Sorey doesn't hesitate and steps out into the rain, a small part of him regretting it due to how cold it was. It was still early Spring, of course the rain would be cold. His hair clings to his face, and he feels Mikleo push it back and out of his eyes. He looks to the structure up ahead, every fiber of his being itching to explore it.

"Mikleooo," He takes the Seraphs hands. He was whining, he knew it, but that didn't matter to him right now. "Let's go up there."

Mikleo follows his gaze. "At that height, we'll be able to see exactly where we are, then we can map a course back to Camlann." He mumbles. "Alright, lets--" Before he can finish the thought, Sorey's already jumping from stepping stone to stepping stone.

"First one to the top gets a kiss!" Sorey calls over his shoulder.

"Be careful!" Mikleo warns him, but he accepts the humans challenge anyway and follows after him. "You're going to fall!"

"I'll have you know, I have excellent balance." He argues. A playful grin crosses his face, although unseen by Mikleo, and when he leaps to the next stone he flails his arms about, wobbling from sde to side as if he lost balance.

"Sorey!" As soon as Mikleo's fingers brush against Sorey's arm, the human stands up straight, and laughs. Mikleo stares at him with disbelief before scowling. "I can't believe--" He sputters. "You--" His eyebrow twitches. "You're such a jerk, Sorey!" His face turns read when Sorey just keeps laughing. He says nothing and simply jumps to the next stone.

"Hey," Sorey stops laughing. "Wait, I'm sorry Mikleo." He jumps after him. "Come baaack!" He whines again. He cries out when he looses his footing, just barely managing to keep himself upright. "M-Mikleo!"

"I'm not falling for it, Sorey." Mikleo huffs. He hears a splash behind him, and he rolls his eyes, turning around, and sure enough he finds the human bobbing up and down in the water. "Serves you right." He hops back over to the stone where Sorey fell.

Crouching down, the Seraph extends his hand, and Sorey takes it. A wicked grin crosses Sorey's face, and before Mikleo could react he's pulled into the pool of water, just barely making out the sound of Sorey laughing from above. Holding his breath, Mikleo swims behind Sorey, and it doesn't take the other too long to start panicking. Mikleo waits a few seconds before he strikes, suddenly wrapping his arms around Sorey's middle, earning a shriek.

"Gotcha!" He presses a kiss to Sorey's cheek. "Now we're even." He says, smug as he rests his chin on his shoulder.

"Now who's the jerk?" Sorey challenges, leaning on the other's chest.

Mikleo hums in thought, staring up at the sky as the rain clouds slowly begin clearing up. "Still you."

 

Sorey and Mikleo lie flat on their backs at the top of a flight of stairs that lead to the top of the temple. There was a lot of stairs, they've already climbed three flights, and between those and the swim they took to _get_ to the stairs, they needed a break.

"Hey, Mikleo?" Sorey turns his head to face the Seraph next to him. The other hums, to tired to answer him properly. "Thank you for bringing me here." He says. "Doing something like this... It's always been my dream. I'm glad I get to experience it with you."

Mikleo turns over on his side to face him. "Thank you for letting me be apart of it." He smiles fondly at the sparkle in Sorey's green eyes.

"There's so many places like this out there Mikleo." He turns to look at the clouds. "Just waiting to be found and explored. We just have to find them." 

Sorey beams at the thought of he and Mikleo traveling through Glennwood, learning about it's history and discovering it's long forgotten past. Maybe they would even travel to the other contenents. Oh, that would be amazing. "You'll come with me, right?" He turns back face Mikleo.

"I told you already, I'll go anywhere with you, Sorey."

Sorey pumps his fist in the air. "Alright! Starting today, we're going to explore the world! Promise?" He extends his fist to the Seraph.

Mikleo touches his wrist to Sorey's and they preform the handshake they had developed back in Autumn. "Promise."

 

Once they're completely dry, and Sorey's eating the only thing that hadn't been ruined by the water--some sort of canned meat--, and Mikleo having caught up on the sleep he lost keeping watch for any hellions or whatever Sorey felt was following them, they continued their climb to the temple.

Sorey holds his arms out wide when they finally reach the top, a big smile on his face. "We made it!" He says, out of breath as he ran up the last few stairs.

Mikleo joins him at the top, and gazes at what lies before him. The temple seemed to be war torn, pillars that once stood along the path to the entrance had long since began to crumble, some having fallen. He follows Sorey when he walks up to the entrance, and once again they see that one symbol carved into the stone door.

"Let's go inside." Sorey says, pushing on the door. It doesn't budge, and he presses his shoulder against it to try again. Mikleo joins him, both of them pushing on the door to no avail. Sorey sits down on the floor, crossing his legs, staring at the door as if waiting for it to open.

"Perhaps something's blocking it from the inside?" Mikleo suggets. He knocks on the door. "It's solid rock, so we can't break it down... Plus that wouldn't be good for preserving it..."

"Maybe we need a special key?" Sorey ponders. "Maybe that symbol we keep seeing has to do with it..." He watches as Mikleo begins scribbling in his journal. His shoulders tense when he has that feeling again, he quickly stands and pulls the sword he kept from it's sheath.

 

"Sorey?" Mikleo closes the book and puts it away, summoning his staff. "Sorey, what's wrong?" His breath hitches when he sees another human at the top of the stairs. "Is that... Is that the _hunter_?" He asks, eyes wide.

"That's not possible, he had been dead for days when we found him--" A look of sheer terror forms on his face when the man simply grins at them. A grin far to wide, and full of far to sharp teeth to belong to a human. He steps back, putting himself between Mikleo and the creature as it steps towards them. He swallows the lump in his throat. "Could it... Could be the hellion that killed him?"

"No." Mikleo voice shakes as his back hits the stone door as he and Sorey step backward. "The hunter _is_ the hellion."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	11. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gosh, I am so, so sorry for how long this took. I had a spill destroyed my keyboard so I had to take it to the shop and get it fixed. But hopefully a longer than normal chapter will make things better c:

Sorey and Mikleo narrowly dodge the hellions attack. It was relentless with it's attacks, going for the kill each time with claws and teeth, and it only grew in ferocity with each hit they managed to land on it. It lunges for Sorey once more, going for his throat with it's claws, only to be held back by water freezing around it's ankles. The hellion snarls, grabbing for Sorey as he runs around it, taking Mikleo by the wrist and pulling him along as it tries to break free.

"Where are we going?!"

"Anywhere that isn't here!" Sorey looks around. There really wasn't anywhere else to go besides back inside the ruins, but it was too far away, the hellion would be free and on them before they even reached the bottom of the stairs. A large crack in the wall catches his eye, and he pulls Mikleo to it. "Think we can fit?"

"Only one way to find out," The Seraph pushes him to go first, only following after once he's squeezed through. They hold their breath, Mikleo tightly gripping Sorey's hand as the hellion passes their hiding place. They exhale once it passes, Sorey leaning agsint the wall with a laugh. 

"You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

Mikleo shakes his head. "I'm okay. What about you?"

"Right as rain." Sorey turns to the opening, peering out of it. He frowns at the sight of the hellion pacing around a few yards away. If they took one step out of their hiding place, they'd be dead before they knew what hit them."He's still out there... Think we should find another way out?'

Mikleo looks to what he can see, a stone -no, marble- floor stretched as far as the light that poured in through the cracks on the wall allowed him to see. They must be inside the temple, it was the only thing that made sense. The door was obviously out of the question, between it being blocked and the hellion that was searching for them. A knot forms in his stomach as he stares into the darkness ahead, every fiber of his being telling him to turn back and take his chances. He shakes the idea from his head.

"Yeah... But be careful, it's dark and we could hurt ourselves." Mikleo steps forward, ignoring that little voice in his head telling him not to take another step. 

 

They wander deep into the maze like temple, a torch Sorey had swiped from the ruins lighting their path. The same marking they found in the ruins decorated the walls, along with a few others that caught Sorey's interest. The human examines them, running a hand over them as his eyes twinkle in awe. He's seen these markings before, but he can't quite remember from where.

"Those are the symbols of the Four Lords" Mikleo tells him, he points to each one. "Hayona of the Wind, Musiphe of Fire," He sucks in a shaky breath between his teeth before continuing. "Emucia of the Earth, and Amenoch of the Water." He screws his eyes shut and presses the heel of his palm to his forehead, trying to sooth his headache.

Something about this place was messing with him. The deeper into the temple they ventured, the worse he felt. His head was throbbing, his vision was starting to blur, and the air had become so thick it was hard for him to breath. He felt nauseous, and despite how cold the air was on his skin, he was hot. He unbuttons his collar some, wiping at his brow with his knuckles.

"Are you alright?" Sorey asks him, and he blinks a few times.

"I'm alright." Mikleo says, giving a reassuring smile when Sorey stares at him with concern. "Honest, I just have a headache." He waves it off and turns back to the mural. He hums, scanning it with his eyes. "I don't see the symbol for Maotelus... Maybe this temple was constructed before he was worshiped." He ponders. "That would make this structure a thousand years old, perhaps even older."

Sorey simply stares at Mikleo. "You'd tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would." He gives him another smile. "Lets keep moving."

Sorey goes to protest, and suggest they should rest for a while, but the Seraph is already walking away. "You're so stubborn..." He grumbles, following after him.

 

Sorey watches the Seraph ahead of him, listening to him go on about his theories for the temple. Even the way he spoke, his voice shook when he spoke, he sounded out of breath, and he would trail off mid sentence as if he had forgotten what he was talking about. All of it told him something was wrong. His eyebrows furrow when he falls silent all together, the only sound he makes being that of labored breaths. Each time he asked him if he was okay, Mikleo would either ignore him or give him a simple 'I'm fine.'

They ventured further into the temple, and Sorey was beginning to feel uneasy. The air became colder with each step, harder for him to breath, and he had an overwhelming sense of dread wash over him. He takes a glance at Mikleo, who's cheeks were flush, eyes unfocused, paler than usual, and looking as if he could pass out at any moment. Sorey puts his arm around his waist, pulling him close. Be it to protect him from whatever he felt was coming, or to keep him upright, he wasn't quite sure.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?" Sorey asks again.

"I told you, I'm fine." Mikleo answers, out of breath.

"You're lying to me," He insists. "Please, tell me what's--"

 

"I found you." Someone says, causing them both to jump. The hellion eyes the two up and down, licking it's lips. "You thought you could get away, but I found you." It repeats, grinning wider when Sorey moves between it and the Seraph, the latter summoning it's staff. "Two lost lambs, just right for the slaughter."

Sorey reaches behind him, gripping Mikleo's wrist as the hellion begins closing in on them. He looks for an escape route before throwing the torch directly into the hellions face, buying him enough time to turn and run down one of the halls, forcing Mikleo to run behind him. It was still dark, but there were enough cracks in the ceiling to provide them enough light that they could see where they were going. They enter a large empty room, with only one way in, and one way out.

"Shit." Sorey grits his teeth. He whirls around when he hears Mikleo's staff clatter on the marble flooring, Mikleo having fallen to his hands and knees. "Mikleo!" He pulls the shaking Seraph into his arms, pressing his hand to his forehead. "You're burning up!"

Mikleo has little time to recollect himself before the hellion finds them, trapping them in the room with nowhere to hide. He grabs his staff with shaking hands, ignoring Sorey's protest while he pushes himself to his feet, readying himself to fight.

The hellion lunges at them, much faster than it was during their first encounter. It was physically stronger too, cracking the stone walls whenever it's fist would collide with one. Sorey manages to dodge one of it's attacks, countering it with a swing from his sword. The attack, while injuring the hellion, did little stop it from grabbing him by the arm and snapping it like a twig. He cries out in pain as Mikleo charges the hellion, wielding his staff like a club. The hellion roughly throws Sorey to the ground, where his head collides with the stone floor leaving him in a dazed heap on the floor.

Mikleo uses his staff to block the hellions attacks, summoning small amounts of water to attack with. In the state he was in, his attacks did very little other than annoy it, and he could feel himself becoming weaker with each passing moment.With a swift kick to the chest, Mikleo's knocked across the room, his staff clattering on the ground. The hellion licks its lips as it approaches him while he struggles to get to his feet. He's seized by the throat, and lifted from the ground, it's claws digging into his neck and drawing blood. He weakly struggles to break free from it's grasp, flinching when it pulls him close to it.

"It's hopeless," The hellion says. "This place makes me stronger! And it makes you weaker! Isn't it great?" It laughs, running it's tongue along the Seraphs neck, and up to his cheek. "I can't wait to hear you scream."

Sorey, dazed and on the ground, watches through blurred vision as Mikleo struggles in the hellions grasp. He cries out the Seraph's name, though he's unable to hear his voice over the ringing in his ears. He struggles to stay conscious as he reaches for his sword, unaware of the carvings on the wall beginning to glow behind him. His vision fades just as his fingers brush agains the hilt of the sword, and the last thing he sees before loosing consciousness is a bright, white light filling the room.

 

Sorey groans as he comes too, blinking until his vision comes back into focus. He panics when he's only able to see out of one eye, rubbing at his right eye in case something was preventing him from opening it, only to find that wasn't the case. He freezes suddenly, looking around.

"Mikleo?!" He calls for the Seraph. "Mikleo, can you hear me?!" He pushes himself up, hissing in pain as his head throbs. He looks all around, he was alone and everything was blue for some reason. "Mikleo!" He calls again, using his hands to amplify the sound. 

He grabs his sword with his good arm and follows the path before him, hoping that it would lead him to the Seraph. This place was strange, pillars of what seem to be light stretched from the ground, disappearing into the sky. Large stones were scattered throughout the sky, and everything felt as if it were constantly moving. 

Sore soon comes across Mikleo's staff, and he sheaths his sword to pick it up. "Mikleo!" He calls again, hoping that he was nearby. His stomach ties into a knot. What if that hellion had killed him? Or worse, even? He shakes his head, ignoring the way it throbbed from the movement. "No. He's alright. You just need to find him." He tells himself and presses onward.

His heart leaps out of his chest when he does find Mikleo, unconscious just a few feet ahead. "Mikleo!" He runs up to him, taken aback by the black, smoke like aura surrounding the trembling Seraph. His first instinct is to wave it away with his hand like you would regular smoke. He then pulls Mikleo into his arms. 

"Mikleo, come on, wake up." Sorey presses his hand to his forehead, finding that his fever had gotten worse. He looks him up and down. There are claw marks on his neck, and traces of the aura still remained, clinging to his person. But what really caught him off guard were the icy blue scales under Mikleo's left eye. 

Sorey pulls Mikleo closer to his chest when the hellion drops down infront of them. It growls dangerously at him, baring it's teeth as it closes in. Despite the pain, he uses his broken arm to point his sword at it, knowing full well it wouldn't do anything to but annoy it. He freezes when he hears a roar in the distance, the hellions eyes widening in terror as it looks behind him. 

Before Sorey has the chance to turn around, something large lands behind him, causing the ground to shake. His eyes widen when the hellion is engulfed in silver flames, and cringes at it's pain filled shrieks. It's only a few moments before the hellion's shrieks are no more, as it's completely consumed by the silver flames, and once it's pyre dies down, the hellion is nowhere to be seen.

The only sound Sorey can hear is that of his sword clattering on the stone beneath him, and his shaking breaths, as he stares at the spot the hellion once stood. He slowly turns his head to face what stood behind him.

He was face to face with a dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo 
> 
> cliff hangers.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone ! I hope you all enjoy the new chapter ! Thank you so much for reading <3

Sorey stares at the dragon with wide eyes. He's only ever heard of dragons in fairy tales growing up, they were always dangerous creatures. Kidnapping princesses, devouring those who dare challenge it, wreaking havoc until a knight came to slay it, save the princess and claim the throne. But never in his wildest dreams did he think they were _real_.

He holds Mikleo tighter when the dragon leans forward. This is it. This is how he dies. Eaten by a mythical, fire breathing creature, in some, what he could only assume was an alternate reality. His breath hitches in his throat when the dragon simply nudges him with it's snout, sniffing him while making a low grumbling sound. 

"Go a head and eat me already," Sorey mumbles, causing the dragon to still. "Just leave Mikleo alone."

"Eat you?" A soft, child like voice echoes in his head. "Why would I eat you?"

"W-well, you're a dragon. And dragons eat people... Right?" Sorey questions. He was talking to a dragon. Maybe he hit his head harder than he thought.

"I'm not one of those dragons." The dragon answers. "But, if your friend isn't purified soon, _he_ will be."

"What... What do you mean?" Sorey looks down to Mikleo, finding that the scales under his eye had begun to spread, now reaching his neck.

"There isn't much time to explain, if the malevolence is allowed anymore time to spread within him, it will be too late. Please, lay him down and stand back."

Sorey hesitates before doing as told, carefully laying Mikleo on his back, and stepping away. He watches as the dragon does nothing for a moment, only to breath out more of those silver flames that quickly engulfed the Seraph. Sorey's eyes widen in horror at the sight, an agonized scream from the Seraph reaching his ears, and he lunges forward to try and save him from the same fate as the hellion.

"Sorey, don't!" The dragon uses a wing to block his path. "It's okay! I promise!"

"You're hurting him!" Sorey protests, choking on a sob as Mikleo continues to scream and writhe in pain. He tries to go around the wing, climb over it, and even crawl under it. " _Please!_ " When the dragon finally raises his wing, Sorey rushes forward, dropping to his knees beside Mikleo as the flames extinguish.

Mikleo's screams turn into sobs, then whimpers, as he curls into a ball, flinching when Sorey touches him. The scales and dark aura were both gone, but now he looked as if he had been in the sun too long. Sorey gently touches his forehead, unsure if the warmth he felt was from his fever or from the flames. 

"S--" Mikleo hiccups, looking up at the human with wide eyes. "Sorey...?" His voice trembles as he speaks, hoarse from screaming. 

"Shh, it's okay, I'm here." Sorey pulls him into a gentle embrace. "You're okay." He kisses Mikleo's temple.

The dragon watches on as Sorey whispers sweet nothings to Mikleo in order to help him calm down. Feeling guilty as he hears the latter cry about how much his flames hurt.

"I had to burn the malevolence out of him." He says, knowing that the Seraph was far to confused at this point to hold a conversation. "I would never intentionally hurt someone, but it was the only way to save him without killing him." Sorey still has questions, he can tell. "I'll answer all your questions once we're somewhere safe for the two of you to rest."

 

Sorey helps Mikleo lie down in a sleeping bag, brushing his bangs from his back before kissing his forehead. He takes his hand when he tries once again to use what strength he had to heal his arm, hushing him when he makes a weak protest. He rests besides him, running his hand through his hair, which quickly lulls the exhausted Seraph to sleep.

Sorey turns his attention back to the dragon. He had brought them to a cave, which he assumed was his nest, and was currently trying to make himself comfortable. The cave was large, by human standards, but to the dragon it must have been cramped. He folded his wings, rests his head on the ground, and yawns.

"You said you had to burn malevonece out of Mikleo," Sorey starts. "What _is_ malevolence?"

The dragon closes his eyes, and answers; "Malevolence is what creates hellions. There's more now than there was before, it's almost as if the land itself is creating it..." His voice trails off in Sorey's head, and he could tell that it worried the dragon.

"Humans are the only creatures that are supposed to be able to create malevolenc, and if they allow it to corrupt them, it raises the risk of them turning into a hellion." He explains. "You grew up with stories of monsters that roamed the forest, those monsters are in fact hellions, born from the corrupt souls of humans who have died within it." He continues. "The hellion you faced earlier was a prime example, that's why there was nothing left when I burnt it with my flames. It was pure malevolence in a humanoid form."

"So, because Mikleo hadn't fully become a hellion, you were able to purify him. But it still hurt him because he had started to turn, right?"

"Exactly."

Sorey leans back, feeling the soothing warmth come from the dragons scales on his back. "One more thing, how do you know my name and what stories I grew up with?"

"Well I... Um..." Sorey can't help but grin. Who knew dragon gods could get flustered? "One of your ancestors... She served as my vessel and I like to check in on her family from time to time." The dragon answers. "That's why, when I sensed you and Mikleo had entered the earth pulse, I started looking for you."

"My ancestor? Vessel?" Sorey parrots, earning a laugh from the dragon.

"Eleanor Hume. Long ago, the world was drowning in malevolence and was completely overrun by hellions. Back then, even the Malakhim would turn into hellions if they had no vessel, that's how bad it was. Eleanor became my vessel to keep me from turning, and in return I lent her my power to help save the world and it's people." The dragon answers. "Ah, but that's a story for another time."

"Eleanor Hume..." Sorey hums. He goes to say something, but all that comes out is a yawn. He didn't realize how _exhausted_ he was. He looks to Mikleo, settling down beside him on the other sleeping bag, linking their fingers together as he hears the dragon let out a tired huff. "He's going to be alright now, isn't he?"

"It will take him some time to recover, but he'll be alright. I promise, Sorey." The dragon opens an eye and looks at the human. "There's no need for you to become his vessel, if that's what you're thinking. While the levels of malevolence is rising, it's still safe enough for a Seraph, even as young as he is, to wander it without a vessel."

Sorey simply nods, letting his eyes slip closed. He's silent for a moment before asking; "What's your name?"

"Maotelus."

 

The forest was quiet, not an animal was in sight, there was no wind, no chirping birds. _Nothing_. It was very early in the morning, the sun had yet to rise and their was an eerie fog that covered the forest floor and into the towns and villages around it's border. 

Lailah and a small group of Seraphim stand at the edge of the fog, the group parting when Zenrus steps forward. The elder Seraph hums, and extends his hand to the fog. It stings him, as he expected, and when he pulls back, dark smoke follows before clearing away.

"This does not bode well." Zenrus says.

"What should we do?" Lailah asks.

The Seraph strokes his beard. "Eizen, check her resting place. Depending on it's condition is how we act."

 

"You really don't remember anything?" Sorey asks, wincing in pain as Mikleo sets his arm in a makeshift sling.

"I wouldn't say I don't remember anything. I remember entering the temple and telling you about the symbols of the Great Four, it's _after_ that things get fuzzy." He scowls. "Hold still."

"But it hurts!" Sorey whines, pouting when Mikleo sighs. Part of him was glad he couldn't remember everything, especially the pain he must have felt from Maotelus' flames.

The Seraph had only been awake for a few hours, or what felt like a few hours. Time seemed to flow differently here. His fever had broken and he no longer looked sun burnt, but he still seemed tired. He was confused at first, but when Sorey explained where they were, and that they were safe, he had gotten to work on mending the human's arm the best he could.

"How long have we been here, Sorey?"

"I... Honestly have no idea. It feels like we've been here for a day, maybe? But I can't be sure." He slips his hand under Mikleo's bangs, ignoring the huff from the other. "I'm just making sure." He removes his hand from Mikleo's forehead, kissing there instead.

"We need to find a way out of here, a doctor needs to look at your arm." Mikleo says as Sorey begins to pepper his face with kisses. "Sorey--"

"I was so worried about you, Mikleo, I--" His breath hitches as he starts crying. "We should have never stepped foot in that place. It made you so sick, and it's all my fault." He buries his face in Mikleo's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"Sorey," Mikleo hugs him, running his hand through messy brown hair. "I'm okay now, see? There's nothing to be sorry for. Something told me not to go in there, but I did anyway. I'm just as much to blame." He kisses the top of his head. He rubs circles into his back when the human begins trembling. "Everything's okay now, Sorey. We just need to go home."

Mikleo's eyes grow wide when a dragon appears outside of the cave. He holds Sorey tighter, trying to back away as it pokes it's head inside. The movement causes Sorey to pull away from him, glancing behind him.

"It's okay," He says, standing up and approaching the beast.

"S-Sorey wait!" Mikleo grabs for his staff, watching in fear as Sorey reaches out to the dragon. He freezes when the beast simply leans into Sorey's touch. He opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out.

"Mikleo, this is Maotelus." Sorey smiles wide, looking at the Seraph with concern when he drops his staff. 

"He's confused." Maotelus says, laughing slightly. "I think you should explain, Sorey." He nudges the human forward.

Sorey rubs the back of his neck. "You, uh, may wanna sit down for this. It's kind of a long story."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor is Sorey's ancestor and you can pry this headcanon from my cold dead hands.
> 
> Here it comes
> 
> the actual plot


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. I don't know what came over me but I've been writing non stop for the past two and a half days. So here it is, chapter twelve. Please enjoy :0

Mikleo sits on the cave floor, cross legged as he tries to fully register what he'd been told. He puts his chin in his palm, eyeing the human and the dragon, opening his mouth to speak only to quickly close it again.

"Are you okay, Mikleo?" Sorey asks him. "I know it's a lot to take it, and you've only been awake for a little while..."

"Yeah... Yeah I'm fine." He nods. "It's just... I almost turned into a _dragon._ " He mumbles, looking away. His hand covers his mouth, muffling his voice. "I could have killed you. I--"

"Mikleo," Sorey takes his other hand and squeezes it. "It's alright. _You're_ alright."

Mikleo looks at Sorey, simply studying his face for any look of doubt. He lets out a shaky sigh, lowering his hand from his face before looking to Maotelus. "I can't even begin to thank you for saving me, I--" He bows his head. "I owe you my life."

"Think nothing of it." Maotelus tells him. "Now that you're both well enough, we need to get he two of you out of the earth pulse. Whenever you're ready I can take you back."

 

"Goodness, this place is going to ruin." Lalaih mumbles, eyeing the fallen stone pillars before her. She, Edna, and Zaveid, after a brief argument, had accompanied Eizen on his task, much to his displeasure. 

"I think that's why they're called 'ruins', Lailah." Edna states bluntly.

Eizen steps forward, easily creating a small bridge from earth to connect where they stood to the bottom of the stair case. He heaves a sigh. "Zavied, take the girls and go back to Elysia. The malevolence is getting thicker the closer we get."

"You're going in there alone?" Edna demands, stepping forward. "But what if there are hellions?"

"I can handle a few hellions."

Zaveid scoffs. "With your luck, there's bound to be a whole hoard of them, not just a few."

"And it's because of my luck I want you to take them back." He shoots the Wind Seraph a glare. He wouldn't forgive himself if they, _especially_ Edna got hurt because of his 'luck'. "You remember our promise, right?"

Zaveid looks at him with slight confusion, his eyes widening a moment later. Growing serious, he nods. "Yeah."

"Good. Now get go--"

Before he could finish speaking, a bright white light fills the sky and a three figures emerge from it. One being a massive dragon that simply perches itself on top of the stairs, while the other two, fall into the water before they can get a good look at them. Edna's able to block the water with her parasol, but the other three Seraphim are hit by the splash. Eizen ignores the water, simply looking up at the dragon, a smiling with pride as it stands tall.

 

Lailah blinks the water from her eyes, ducking away when Zaveid simply shakes the water from his hair. "Oh my," She puts a hand to her lips, eyeing the two in the water. She can't help but smile at the small content sigh the water Seraph makes. Her eyebrows furrow then, and she looks up to where he fell from. She then presses her lips into a fine line, crossing her arms as she waits for him to notice her.

"Ooh, someone's in trouble," Edna hums in amusement.

 

"Last time we fell you barely made a splash," Sorey comments, removing a lily pad from his head.

"I'm still tired, leave me alone." Mikleo says, eyes closed as he lets the coolness of the water sooth him. A nice soak always helps him feel better. "Besides the water is deep enough that we wouldn't be killed on impact. Unlike the last time."

"And just where did you fall from _last time?_ " Lailah's voice causes him to jump in surprise.

"Lailah!" Mikleo smiles sheepishly. "I didn't see you there."

 

Maotelus simply laughs as Lailah scolds the two boys for just falling out of the sky. Telling them it was dangers and they could have been killed if they had fallen even a foot to the right. Mikleo slowly sinking into the water, while Sorey keeps looking between them in confusion not going unnoticed by the dragon either. The whole scene made him feel nostalgic.

"Takes you back, doesn't it?" Eizen asks, joining him on his perch.

"Yeah." Maotelus answers. He turns to face the temple. "You're here to visit her?"

"Yeah." The Seraph nods. "Malevolence is starting to spread, so it's safe to assume the seal is either weakening or broken."

"That would explain the things Sorey told me." The dragon says, thinking of what Sorey told him about how ill Mikleo became the further they ventured inside the temple. "Let me join you then, you'll probably need my flames."

"I'm going too," Zaveid states. He holds up a pistol for the two to see, tapping the trigger and locking eyes with Eizen. "Just in case."

 

By the time Lailah was finished, she was red in the face, and Mikleo was all but hiding behind Sorey and his lily pad. Sorey had floated there awkwardly as Lailah scolded Mikleo, really unsure what to do. She was definitely his mother. Even if Seraphim didn't have the same familial ties humans do.

"You know, you two may want to get out of the water." Edna says, twirling her parasol. "The second Lord Zenrus senses a _human_ in our realm, he'll be beyond mad. And we all know what happens when he gets mad."

Sorey blinks in confusion, letting Mikleo pull him along to the edge of the bridge. The water Seraph climbs out of the water, then pulls him up onto the bridge, drying them both off with a simple arte. Mikleo shifts nervously from foot to foot, going tense when Edna simply stares at Sorey.

"So, you're the human he's got a thing for, huh?" She tilts her head to the side, looking him up and down. "I suppose you are kind of cute. For a human."

"Thanks." Sorey smiles awkwardly. "I think." He extends his hand to her. "My name's Sorey."

"What are your intentions with Meebo?" She demands suddenly, eyeing him warily.

"Edna!" Mikleo's face turns beet red in embarrassment.

"What?" A sly grin grows on her face. "Am I embarrassing you, _Snowdrop?_

Sorey can't help but snort in laughter when Mikleo lets out a whine, burying his face in his hands. The tips of his ears were red, and he was mumbling into his hands.

Lailah lets out a sigh as she steps forward, giving Mikleo a look. "You are to tell Lord Zenrus about all this, the second we get back to Elysia, am I clear?"

Mikleo lowers his hands from his face, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "Yes, ma'am."

Lailah's eyes narrow some. "Good." She smiles brightly when she turns back to Sorey. "Why don't you come with us while Eizen and Zaveid check on things here? Maybe we can get that arm of yours fixed up." 

Sorey smiles and nods. "Yes please. Thank you ma'am." He lets the Seraph lead him away, listening to Edna continuing to tease Mikleo behind them.

 

Sorey's eyes sparkle as he wanders around Mikleo's home village. Some Seraphim were interested in him, introducing themselves and asking him questions on what it's like to be human, while others kept their distance. Mikleo, as he was told, left to speak with Zenrus, informing him of Sorey's presence in the Seraphim Realm, and leaving him to his own devices. He tried to wait for him to return, he really did, but his curiosity got the best of him.

He currently sat on a patch of grass, petting some goats as they graze, when Lailah steps up to him. "Mikleo's quite fond of you, he always gets this big smile on his face when talking about you, or receiving a silphjay from you." She says, joining him on the ground. "May I?" She asks, referring to his arm. When he nods she removes the makeshift sling and feels up and down his arm for the break. 

Sorey's face flushes, trying not to flinch away when she finds where the bone is broken. "I'm quite fond of him too." He says, feeling warmth spread through his arm. "You... The way you got mad at us for, it reminded me of the way my mom and Muse used to get mad at me and... The old Mikleo for doing stupid thins when we were kids." He smiles sadly at the memory. "You're the one who found him when he was born, right?" He asks, rubbing at his blind eye with his free hand.

"Yes. He was such a cute little thing," Lailah smiles and replaces the humans arm in the sling. "He used to cling to my skirts and follow me around. But now, he's all grown up and doesn't need me anymore." She says, she sounded sad. "I know it's selfish, but part of me wishes that he'd grow at a slower rate, so I could have my little Snowdrop a little bit longer." She smiles softly. "But, he's growing up into a find young Seraph. I couldn't be more proud of him."

"Can..." Sorey hesitates, swallowing hard. "Can I see where you found him?"

 

"You brought a _human_ into our realm?" Zenrus repeats, unsure if he heard properly. He looks at Mikleo as he bows his head low. "You know humans are strictly forbidden from stepping foot past the veil."

"I didn't mean too, sir, I wasn't even aware we passed through the veil until it was pointed out." Mikleo says. "I'm so sorry, I would have never brought him here intentionally."

Zenrus sighs. "I know that not all humans are like Artorious, but it's better safe than sorry." He puffs his pipe, the smoke reminding him of the morning fog. "We have enough on our hands at the moment."

"Yes sir, I'll take him back to his village by nightfall."

"Nightfall is only a few hours from now, dear boy." Zenrus opens an eye. "You've been through quite an ordeal, the both of you. I want the two of you to take a few days and rest. I don't sense any ill intent from the boy, nor do I sense any malevolence on him, but keep an eye on him, just to be safe."

Mikleo nods his head, smiling some. "Yes. Thank you, Lord Zenrus."

 

"It's no use," Maotelus says, panting heavily as he breaths out more silver flames. "The malevolence, it's too strong. I'm not strong enough anymore."

"Seal it off for now," Eizen tells him, creating a wall to trap the swarm of spider hellions within the temple. "We'll figure something out."

The dragon nods, his domain becoming a barrier to trap the malevolence and keep it from spreading any further. Eizen's eyes narrow as he does this, knowing full well he was making an oath in order to achieve this feat. He effortlessly catches the dragon when his size changes dramatically. No longer was he towering over them, now he was roughly the size of a house cat, fitting perfectly in the earth Seraph's arms.

"You alright?"

"Yes, I'll be fine." Maotelus flexes his wings, letting out a small huff. "The seal will last until the next Scarlet Night."

"That's only a few weeks from now," Zaveid mumbles. "Is that going to be enough time to fix this?"

".... I don't know," Maotelus admits, he moves himself to Eizen's shoulder. "All we can do now is hope for the best. Other wise, the entire world will be at risk." 

 

Sorey gazes at the trees surrounding him. They were large, long branches stretching out high above him. Sunlight shines through the leaves, a small breeze ruffle his hair. He stops when Lailah does, watching her press her hand to an oak and close her eyes. She's silent for a moment, but then she pulls her hand away and takes a few steps to the side.

"He was right here when I found him, about this tall," She demonstrates his height with her hand. "With the snow up to his knees." She smiles fondly at the memory. "That's why I call him 'Snowdrop' you see."

Sorey smiles, looking around the area. "You... Prayed, to the tree, didn't you?" He asks, walking up to it. "Can I ask why?"

"Respect, mostly." Lailah answers. "You see, Sorey, every life lost within this forest is reborn. Both body and soul."

Sorey's eyebrows furrow in confusion. Lives lost are reborn, both body and soul? What did she mean by that? His eyes widen suddenly with realization. Mikleo had said there was nothing here before the war over a thousand years ago. Were the trees of this forest once the bodies of those who lost their lives during it? Were they nothing more than grave markers in a giant cemetery?

"Then this--" He turns his attention to the oak tree before him. His chest becomes tight, guilt hitting him hard as tears well up in his eyes. He presses his forehead to the bark. "I'm so sorry..." He breaks into sobs, letting Lailah pull him into her arms.

"There, there, it's alright, Sorey." She says in a soothing voice.

"He was all alone!" Sorey wails, crying into her chest. "And it's all my fault! He was always getting hurt because of me when we were kids--" He hiccups, letting out another sob as Lailah holds him tighter. "He _died_ because of me!" Sorey sucks in a breath, images of Mikleo leaving that winters morning still fresh in his mind. "If I had just _listened_ to him and turned back, then he--"

 

Mikleo leans against a tree, listening to Sorey cry and pour his heart out to Lailah. So even after all this time, he still blamed himself for what happened back then, blaming himself for something he had little control over. He knew that Sorey still missed his former self, and that deep down he'd never quite be the same. He pushes himself away from the tree, stepping up to them.

"Sorey," He calls the human's name, causing him to jump. "I'm... Don't cry, Sorey. Please."

"Mikleo!" Sorey hurriedly wipes at his eyes. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." He shuffles on his feet as Lailah steps away, leaving them be. "It's... Not your fault, Sorey. You were only a child, you can't keep blaming yourself for the past."

"But, even now you keep getting hurt because of me." Sorey closes the distance between them. "When we first met you got hurt protecting me," His hand touches Mikleo's side. "And then you..." He trails off, his hand moving to his face where he brushes his thumb over where the patch of scales used to be under his eye. 

More tears well up in the human's eyes as he remembers how Mikleo screamed and writhed on the ground as he was burnt, the way he cried after the flames were gone, and how he was unable to help him. 

"Sorey..." Mikleo cups his face, standing on his tip toes to kiss his tears away. "Everything's okay," He cups the back of Sorey's head, pulling him down so their foreheads were touching. "What's done is done, I'm here now, and I'm okay."

"Only one good thing came out of that blizzard," Sorey says, Mikleo's hand dropping from his head. He smiles at the Seraph. "You."

Mikleo's face flushes, and he punches Sorey in the chest. "You're such a sap, I swear."

"Yeah, but I'm your sap and you love me." He says with a grin. He sniffs, and wipes his eyes again, looking at Mikleo with such adoration it made the Seraph's cheeks burn.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," Mikleo turns on his heel, grinning to himself at the sound Sorey makes. "Now come on, Lord Zenrus says you can stay until we're both rested enough to travel back to Camlann, and you need to eat. Can't have you starving to death."

"Sure thing, _Snowdrop_." Sorey grins from ear to ear, walking past the red faced Seraph.

"You are such an ass, Sorey!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw some fan arts on tumblr where Maotelus was tiny, and I really like the concept. I'll go more into the detail about his oath next chapter.
> 
> Also angst.


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO EVERYONE. I'm so, so sorry for how long this one took. I've been really busy, and I've had an awful case of writers block, and I rewrote this chapter like, four times. But please enjoy. Thanks for all the comments and kudos thus far, they mean the world to me.

Sorey sits on a log, sending a silphjay off with a note for his mother, letting her know that he's okay and will be staying in Mikleo's home town for a short while. He looks away from the bird when Mikleo joins him on the log, handing him a bowl of ice cream.

Mikleo snorts in laughter as Sorey stares at the bowl as if he had handed him the world. "Hurry before it melts, dummy." That's all it takes for him to dig in, eyes lighting up even more.

"Delicious!" Sorey exclaims, mouth full. He eats another spoonful, smiling in pure bliss.

"I'm glad you think so. It's my own special recipe." Mikleo says, a hint of pride in his voice. They fall silent as Sorey eats the frozen treat, Mikleo leaning on Sorey's side, looking up at the sky. The sun was nearly gone, more and more stars twinkling in the sky as it grew darker and darker.

Once finished with the ice cream, Sorey holds the bowl in his lap. He fidgets in his seat, earning a concerned look from Mikleo. "Sorry, it's just... So much happened so fast, it's a still a little hard to process."

"I know what you mean," Mikleo nods against Sorey's shoulder. They stay silent for a while longer. "We should take a bath..." Mikleo mumbles.

"Are you implying I stink?"

"That is exactly what I am implying," Mikleo stands, taking the bowl from Sorey. "That and I feel run down. A bath usually helps me feel better." He holds out his hand to Sorey with a cheeky grin. "If you're lucky, I may even wash your back."

 

"Did everything go well?" Zenrus asks as Eizen and Zaveid enter his home. It was well past dark by the time they returned. The size of the dragon on Eizen's shoulders told him things did not go well, but he needed to hear it from their mouths.

"The seal's broken." Eizen says, Maotelus resting around his neck.

"I made an oath to create a temporary seal," Maotelus says. "That's why I'm like this now."

"How long will it last?"

"Until the next Scarlet Night." Maotelus answers, and Zenrus scowls. "I would have made it last longer, but I'm afraid my strength wouldn't allow it. It took what I had left to make the oath."

"We haven't much time then," Zenrus says, getting to his feet. "What of the temple itself?"

"Overrun with hellions," Zaveid is the one to answer, stepping aside when the elder moves past him. "Flooded with malevolence. It's probably the source of it... I'm amazed Eizen's not a dragon yet." Eizen says nothing, simply giving Zaveid a look, silently telling him to shut up when Maotelus' wings droop. 

"The land itself is somehow creating the malevolence," Maotelus says."My flames aren't enough to purify it, and the seal is only going to keep it from spreading beyond the forest for the time being."

"What could be causing this, I wonder." Zenrus hums. "Humans are supposed to be the only one's to create malevolence, and it just infects whatever it can from there... For the land to generate it..." He trails off, gazing at the bookshelves before him. "It's worrisome to say the least."

 

A few nights later, Sorey lets out a quiet groan, turning on to his back and stares up at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep, he was restless and he didn't know why. He knew he needed the rest, as he and Mikleo would be setting out for Camlann in the morning, but... 

He was anxious, feeling as if anything could happen at any moment, the same way he felt in the temple before that hellion attacked. He just hopes that he's being paranoid and nothing more. Sorey turns his head to face Mikleo, watching his chest rise and fall as he sleeps deeply. Even Mikleo's been out of sorts lately. He's been absent minded, and deep in thought, and always looking as if he has a question but he's too afraid to ask. 

Sorey gives him a quick peck on the cheek before standing, moving quietly around Mikleo's home. There wasn't much, just a few bookshelves and a desk where he did his writing. At first Sorey was a bit surprised to learn that he didn't have a bed, but when he remembered Seraphim didn't require sleep like humans did, he didn't question it. But, he did seem to cause Mikleo to take it up as something of a hobby. He takes another look at him before stepping outside, shivering some when the cool night air hits him.

He wanders the village, nodding to Seraphim who acknowledged him as he walks passed them. He wanders around until he finds a spot by the river and sits down, gazing up at the twinkling stars. It's a quiet night, no wind to rustle the trees and bushes, no animals to cry in the night, only the sound of the river.

 

"Mind if I join you?"

Sorey nearly jumps out of his skin when he turns to face Zenrus, the old man smiling down at him with his arms behind his back. "O-of course, sir." He stutters, turning red and turning to face the water as the man sits beside him.

"A lovely night, don't you think?" Zenrus hums.

"Yeah... I suppose." Sorey leans back some, supporting himself with his hands.

"Is everything alright?"

"I... Don't know. I have this weird feeling that somethings going to happen, and, I don't think it's going to end well." Sorey answers, somewhat surprised at himself. He'd never been shy, but he's always been the kind to keep his problems to himself, but, there was something... Calming, about Lord Zenrus that he could easily open up to him.

Zenrus hums again. "That may be due to the upcoming Scarlet Night. Some become very uneasy before it arrives, and it's due within a week." He glances at the boy. "The Scarlet Night is a strange phenomenon, so there's really no telling what may happen during it."

"Maotelus' seal is getting weaker by the day," Sorey blurts out. He had noticed the strange fog each morning, and it was thicker and thicker each day. "What happens if it breaks before anything can be done?"

"It will start small. The forest will contaminated, effecting all those who benefit from it. Then wars for the control of food and other resources will begin, causing even more malevolence, which in turn will breed hoards of hellions." Zenrus tells him, turning his gaze to the stars. "The world will be thrown into chaos, most likely causing humanity to have to rebuild itself once more, doomed to repeat the cycle once again."

"Again?"

"Every thousands years or so, humanity is... Reset, shall we say, when the malevolence they produce proves to be too much to be burned away by the silver flames. Long ago, Innominat would awaken from his slumber and strip humanity of it's will and emotions, thus removing it's ability to feel anger, sorrow, lust, pride, and envy. Everything that creates the malevolence." The elder explains. "This causes any and all advances in human civilization to collapse, thus sending them back to an era you refer to as the ancient times."

"Oh..." Sorey looks away, letting himself absorb this new information. "Wait, does that mean this Inomminat guy is going to come back and do it again?"

"Inomminat is no more," He answers. "Sealed away for all eternity, with Maotelus to take his place." He gives a light chuckle at Sorey's sigh of relief.

"But... If the malevolence is spreading again, then won't humanity end up destroying itself anyway?" Sorey asks. "Even if it doesn't directly cause it, if the forest were to contaminated then... There has to be a way to stop this!"

"There may be a way." Both Sorey and Zenrus turn to Maotelus. The dragon eyes go downcast, and Sorey can almost picture a child in his place, nervously shuffling his feet. "But, I'm not entirely sure it will work."

Sorey all but jumps to his feet. "We have to try! Let me help, I'll do whatever it takes!"

Maotelus closes his eyes. If dragons could smile, he would do so at Sorey's willingness. Or maybe it was foolishness. "My power has faded over the course of time, I can't control the spread of malevolence like I could once before, so in a sense this is my fault." He admits. "I wasn't aware it had gotten this far out of hand... Perhaps it's because it isn't natural..." He shakes his head.

"I'm getting off topic. The forest is dying, this malevolence is killing it, and it has been for some time. As Zenrus told you, if the forest dies, war and famine will ensue, and malevolence will run rampant, causing another era of chaos." He looks up at Sorey. "I can't allow that to happen, so I'm going to give myself to the land in order to restore the forest and destroy the malevolence at it's source. Doing both without a proper vessel will most likely kill me, but, I have to do _something_."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Zenrus questions. "With all due respect, your death would ensue a war among the remaining Lords. Is that not why you became who you are now when Innominat was sealed away?"

"Yes, but what choice do I have?" Maotelus counters. "We're out of time and it's my fault the malevolence has spread like this, I should be the one to fix this."

"Maotelus," Sorey clears his throat. "Maybe I can help? I can become your vessel and--." 

"No." Maotelus cuts him off. "It's risky for me, but it would be certain death for you, Sorey. You're just a human."

"I know that! But there are people that I love, and they're all going to suffer if the forest dies, and even more so if you die!" Sorey argues. If what Zenrus said was true, then this was much bigger than his loved ones, and he couldn't sit back and let so many people suffer if he could do something to prevent it. "If becoming your vessel is the only way to save them, then I'll do it." His shoulders begin shaking and his eyes go down cast.

"Even if it kills me."

 

Sorey watches the next morning as Lailah frets over Mikleo, licking her thumb to clean a smudge from his face while he protests. They were about to leave for Camlann, and if Mikleo was right, they'd be there shortly after lunch. He winces when Edna jabs him in the side with her parasol.

"I still don't know what your intentions with Meebo are, but know this, _Sorey_ ," Sorey becomes tense by her tone when she said his name. "Do anything, and I mean _anything_ to hurt him and I will bury you alive. You hear me?" Her eyes narrow dangerously.

Sorey is unable to hide his frown, so he looks away. "Yeah... Loud and clear."

"Edna!" Lailah shoots her a glare. "You will do no such thing!" She puts her hands to her hips. "You can bury him after I've burnt him to a crisp."

"Lailah!" Mikleo looks at her with shock. "Tell me your joking." He pouts when she simply gives him a teasing grin.

"Who can say?" 

 

Sorey and Mikleo walk in silence through the forest. It had been hours since they left Elysia, and they would be in Camlann soon. It was as Maotelus said, the trees were loosing their leaves and there weren't as many animals as usual. But unless one knew to look for it, they'd never notice. Sorey couldn't bring himself to tell Mikleo what he had decided to do. He didn't know how to tell him. There was no way he'd be okay with it, and they would fight about it, he knows it. But not telling him would be even worse, and he couldn't just _leave_ him like that with no explanation.

"Mikleo?" 

"Yes?"

"Promise me, that once I'm gone, you won't forget me?" Sorey asks, his voice low.

Mikleo comes to a halt. "I could never forget you, Sorey. Why would you ask me something like that? You promised that you wouldn't leave me for a long time. Not until you're an old man. Remember?"

"I--" Sorey swallows hard. "I'm going to have to break that promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hERE COMES THE ANGST
> 
>  
> 
> also i have some other projects I'm working on, both personal and not. I may be posting some new fanfics between chapters, but I can't promise anything. And we're also in the process of the selling the house and will be moving asap so i cannot say when the next chapter will be out, and I'm very sorry for that.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I apologize for the wait! This chapter was rather difficult for me to write and I've had other things going on, so that's why. Please enjoy!

"What do you mean, Sorey?" Mikleo demands. "You're not thinking of doing something stupid, are you?"

"I'm going to help Maotelus." Sorey answers. "I'm going to become his vessel and we're going to restore the forest and purify the malevolence." He rubs the back of his neck. "The chances of me coming back are very slim if it works."

"If?" Mikleo repeats, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're going to give your life for something that might not even work?" He balls his hands into fists. "I always knew humans were stupid and reckless, but _this_?"

"Mikleo, please, you have to understand, I wouldn't do this if there were another way." Sorey points out. "Please--"

"No! I don't understand! You're giving up everything you've ever wanted in life, all your dreams, you're friends and family, all on a chance that it will make a difference!" He argues. "I don't understand you, I never have and I never will!"

Sorey closes the distance between them, cupping Mikleo's face. "If you were me, and had the chance to save everyone you care about from endless suffering, wouldn't you do whatever it took?" He brushes his thumb under his eye. "I know I made a promise, and I know that I'm giving up everything, but it's worth it to keep you, and everyone else safe!"

"I don't care!" Mikleo protests, slapping Sorey's hand away. "I don't care about any of that! I--" He stops himself, looking away. "You know first hand what it's like to loose someone you care about, Sorey. You saw what it did to Muse when I-- When the old Mikleo died. How could you do that to them?"

"I..." Sorey swallows the lump in his throat. "I know it'll hurt them. I don't want to, but--"

"But what? You're making the choice to die, Sorey. You're _choosing_ to hurt them!" Mikleo argues. "How could you be so cruel, Sorey?!"

"What would be cruel is standing by and doing nothing! I want all of you to have a future, which you won't if the forest dies!" Sore counters. "I'm going to do this, Mikleo. Even if means you hating me for the rest of your life!"

Mikleo says nothing, simply looking at Sorey with an unreadable expression. They stand there for what feels like hours, not a single word said between them. Mikleo steps forward, causing Sorey to become tense, only, he brushes past him and continue on his way to town. 

 

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Rose whistles when Sorey steps into the tavern. "Long time no see."

Sorey wipes his eyes on his sleeve, clearing his throat before responding. "It's been what, a week? Maybe two?"

"More like a month." She responds, grinning when Sorey's mother pulls him into a tight hug.

"You had me worried sick!" Selene says. "I thought you had..." She trails off and shakes her head. "I'm glad you're okay." She kisses his forehead. 

Sorey smiles some. "I'm sorry ma'," He hugs her tight around the middle. "I'm so sorry." He feels tears well up in his eyes again, and his mother runs her hand through his hair. 

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" She asks, tilting his head up.

Sorey blinks the tears away, shaking his head. "I just... Missed you, that's all."

 

Sorey absentmindedly listens to one of Mayvin's stories, stirring his drink as he thinks of how he would tell them. Or _if_ he should tell them. He thought of each outcome; His mother wouldn't understand, and she'd tell him he wasn't making any sense. Alisha would cry, and Rose would punch and yell at him for being stupid, there was no doubt about it. Maybe he should make something up, say he was going to go to Pendrago. They would find out eventually, and this way they would think there was an accident or something.

 

"So, where's Mikleo?" Rose asks suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts. "Did he not come back with you?"

"He did, he just... Needed some time alone." Sorey tells her. "We kind of had a fight on the way here, and I think he's still mad at me." He knows Mikleo is still mad at him.

"Lovers quarrel, eh?" Mayvin hums. "You're going to have a lot of those by the time you're my age." He pats Sorey on the shoulder with a laugh. 

Sorey stares into his cup. "Yeah."

 

Mikleo isn't sure how long he's been sitting there, with his head in his knees. But, he does know deep down what Sorey was planning to do was for the greater good. But he doesn't care. Why doesn't he care? Is he really that selfish?

He was angry, sad, and terrified. Tears sting his eyes again, a few dropping onto his pant leg. He's unable to keep himself from crying, silently sobbing into his legs. He knew he'd have to go through this eventually, but... Why does it have to be now? Why so soon? It wasn't fair. Nothing about this was fair. 

He felt something nudge him, and he scowls. "Go away, Sorey." He says, not bothering to look up. Instead of a verbal response, the nudging continues, this time much rougher, forcing him to raise his arm. "I said--" He's taken aback when a dog pushes itself into his arms, resting his head on his shoulder with a whine.

Mikleo stares at Atakk, but rather than recoil or push him away in fear like he usually would, he wraps his arms around him, crying into his fur. "Dumb dog..."

 

Sorey enters his bedroom, not surprised to find Mikleo wasn't there. He heaves a sigh and flops down on his bed. Mikleo will come home when he's ready, he's sure of it. He closes his eyes in an attempt to get some sleep. The clock in the hall chimes midnight, and he's still wide awake. He sits up, reaching for his shoes, hoping that a quick walk would help tire him out.

He blindly wanders around the village, not caring when it begins raining. Sorey stuffs his hands into his pockets, as he stares on ahead. He soon comes to an old abandoned shed, over taken by nature hidden within the trees. One had to know where it was to find it. That's what made it the perfect place to hide treasure.

He hesitates outside of it, having not stepped foot in it since he was a child. They memory was still fresh in his mind; he was seven, and he just _knew_ Mikleo had to be there. Only, when he opened the door, his friend was nowhere to be seen. Sorey takes note of the door being ajar, and pushes it open after another second of hesitation. 

Fresh tears well up in his eyes when he sees Mikleo huddled in the corner, Atakk by his side. Mikleo glances up at him, saying nothing when he simply buries his face in his arms again. Sorey lets out a gasp when, with a simple flick of the wrist, Mikleo's dried him off without a word. 

 

Sorey sits down next to Mikleo, folding his hands in his lap. "Mikleo, I--"

"Don't." Mikleo cuts him off, voice hoarse. "Just don't, Sorey."

Sorey frowns and moves closer. He hesitates before pulling Mikleo into an embrace, surprised with how willing he went. "I'm sorry," He says into his hair. "I'm so sorry, Mikleo."

Shaking his head, Mikleo says; "I'm sorry. I know what you're doing is the right thing, but I... I'm not..." He struggles to find the proper words. "I've always known that we would have to part one day, but... I'm not ready for that yet. Gods, I'm so selfish." He puts his head in his hands.

"Mikleo..." Sorey hugs him tight. "You're not--"

"Yes I am!" Mikleo argues. "You just want to keep us all safe, and I'm trying to stop you!"

Sorey's heart aches at how distraught the Seraph sounded, crying into his hands. Unsure what to do, Sorey simply pulls him closer, kissing the top his head and letting him cry. They stay like this for what feels like hours, Sorey rubbing Mikleo's back as his sobs turned into hiccups. More time passes, and Mikleo's fallen silent, no longer crying, just resting on Sorey instead.

 

Mikleo soon pulls away from him, enough to wipe at his eyes. "I won't forgive you for this, Sorey." He says, locking their eyes together. "For what you're doing to them. For the pain you'll cause." He elaborates. "For as long as I live, I will _never_ forgive you."

"Mikleo..."

"And as much as I _want_ to, I can't hate you." He continues. "I don't think I could ever bring myself to hate you." Mikleo tightly grips Sorey's shirt. "But, until you leave, I'll stay by your side."

Sorey smiles softly, cupping Mikleo's cheek. "Don't think of it as me leaving," He says. "I'm going to become part of the forest, so, in a sense, I'll still be here. And, whenever you feel the sun on your face, that'll be me, doing this," He then peppers Mikleo's face with kisses, earning a laugh and a shove.

"Promise me that you'll live your life to the fullest?" He asks. "That you'll do everything you've ever dreamed of?"

"I promise." Mikleo gives him a small, fake smile. "It'll just be lonely without you, and nowhere near as fun without your wild theories and speculations." 

Sorey laughs at that, leaning back on the wall behind him. He looks at Mikleo, smiling sadly. "Promise me one more thing?" He asks, earning a curious look from the Seraph. "Promise me that you won't keep yourself from finding new love, and that when you think of me, you'll only think of the time we had together, not the time we could have had. Okay?"

Mikleo blinks, unsure how to answer him. He's never grieved anyone before, so he has no idea how long it would take him to move on. It could take him weeks, years, or even centuries before he was ready to move on and find someone else. Would he even want anyone else after Sorey? He pushes the thought from his mind, all of that he could deal with when the time came. He puts on another fake smile, taking Soreys hands in his own.

"Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angsssssssssssttttttttttt
> 
> We're nearing the end folks! Only one, maybe two... Or three(at most) chapter(s) left!
> 
> also I'm moving sometime after the 25th of May, and I most likely will not have the next chapter up by then.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still haven't moved so here's a chapter. A short and kind of rushed chapter but... You'll find out why in the notes at the end.

Sorey wakes the next morning when Atakk begins barking before running outside into the rain. He looks to Mikleo, finding him flicking through some old books they had stashed away in here as children. He looked as if he hadn't slept a wink. The Seraph smiles at Sorey when he sees him awake.

"Sleep well?" Mikleo asks, turning back to the book.

"... No." He admits. He hadn't been able to sleep properly since he woke up in the earthpulse. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Seraphim don't need sleep," Mikleo answers. "Besides, I was too busy going through all your stuff."

Sorey hums, sitting upright and stretching his arms. "I haven't seen this stuff in years," he smiles fondly as he eyes the items on the floor. His eyebrows furrow suddenly. "How did you know about the shed?" he asks. "No one in town knows about it besides me."

"I'm not sure. I just kept walking until I wound up here." Mikleo tells him. "Perhaps I subconsciously sought out this place."

"You always used to come to hide here when you were upset with me." Sorey mumbles. "Nice to know that hasn't changed."

Mikleo gives a halfhearted smile, closing the book and setting it aside. "When are you going to... You know."

"The Scarlet Night." Sorey answers.

"Sorey, that's only three days away!"

"I know." He smiles sadly. "Which is why I want to make the next few days good days and spend time with everyone."

Mikleo looks at him sadly but nods his head. "I'll help you. But... What are you going to tell them?"

"That I'm going to take my father up on his offer and move to Pendrago to study," Sorey says. "I was hoping that a few weeks from now you could deliver a note that said there was an accident on the way and I didn't make it."

"You... Want me to lie to them?"

"They won't understand if I tell them the truth. It's the only thing I can think of, I know it'll hurt them but... It's better this way, I think."

"... Okay." This takes Sorey by surprise. "I'll do it."

"I know I'm asking a lot of you, Mikleo," Sorey says, leaning forward to kiss him. "But, I couldn't do this without you."

Mikleo forces a smile. "Don't mention it." He lets Sorey kiss him again. 

"I love you,"

"I love you, too."

 

Sorey and Mikleo spent the next few hours at Sorey's home. Selene had practically dragged them into the kitchen when they stepped in the door, giving them each a generous helping of eggs and potatoes. Now, having eaten their fill, Sorey sits at his desk writing a quick note to his father in Pendrago, telling him he'd be coming to stay with him and further his studies while Mikleo sits on his bed reading one of his books.

Sorey seals the envelope and sets the letter on his desk. He still has to tell his mother that he's leaving, but instead, he climbs in bed with Mikleo, pulling him to his chest and resting his chin on his shoulder. He falls back onto the pillow, pulling Mikleo down with him.

"Take a nap with me?" He requests.

Mikleo closes the book and sets on the bedside table. "Seraphim don't..." He trails off, letting out a short sigh. "Alright."

 

The next day, Sorey announced he would be leaving for Pendrago early in the morning, and that he wasn't sure when he'd be able to come home. He hadn't been able to focus on much, only able to hold short conversations as the weight of his choice started to come down on him. 

"What's with you today? You've been spacy all day." Selene muses as she clears the dinner table, causing him to jump.

Sorey shakes his head, watching as Mikleo takes his leave. "I just got a lot on my mind." He responds. "I'm... I'm going to miss you."

Selene sets the plates down in the sink and pulls Sorey into a hug. "I'll miss you too, sunshine," She rubs his head. "But you can come home anytime you want, you know that right?" She blinks in surprise when Sorey hugs her tightly around the waist, crying into her chest. "What's wrong, Sorey?"

He shakes his head. "I'm just... Really going to miss you." He tightly grips the back of her blouse. "I'm so sorry."

Selene gets onto her knees so they're eye level. "Sorey, there's nothing to apologize for." She cups his face in both her hands. "You're doing what you need to do," She kisses his forehead. "I know it's scary, but, if anyone can do it, it's you."

Sorey hugs her again, turning his head to kiss her cheek. "I love you, ma."

 

It's well past midnight, and Sorey is unable to sleep. He's holding Mikleo close to his chest, using his free hand to play with his hair. Mikleo can't help but smile softly, drawing patterns on his chest with his finger. He huffs when Sorey hugs him tightly, his smile fading when he feels the human start shaking.

"Sorey?" He tries to pull away, but Sorey has him in a vice grip. "Sorey, what's the matter?"

Sorey shakes his head, hiding his face in Mikleo's hair. Tears well up in his eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment as he trembles more. A few tears slip from his eyes when Mikleo soothingly rubs his back. They simply lie on the bed, holding each other as Sorey cries and Mikleo does everything in his power to keep himself from doing the same. When Sorey speaks, his voice is small and broken.

"I'm scared..."

Mikleo bites his lower lip to keep himself from crying right then and there. He needed to be strong right now. He had to be for Sorey. "Shh," he leans up to kiss his tears away. "I'm here, and I'll stay right here until the very end. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, I gotta be honest. I don't have any ambition to write this anymore. It's no longer fun for me and I want to work on other things. So I don't know if, or when I'm ever going to update it again. I may work on it from time to time, but as of now, I really don't want to.
> 
> So I'm leaving it as unfinished just in case I do. 
> 
> I'm so, so sorry.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I... Got the urge to finish this mess of a fanfic. It's not my best work, but I'm satisfied with how this chapter turned out. Thanks for reading this far ! enjoy the chapter!

Hand in hand, Sorey, and Mikleo walk through the forest in silence. Dead grass and leaves crunch under their feet with each step they took, the dark and ominous fog that shrouded Elysia has spread into the forest and was slowly making it's way to Camlann.

Sorey looks to the seraph besides him. "You okay?" he asks him. Mikleo's cheeks are flushed.

"I will be once we're back in Elysia," Mikleo responds. "This fog... It's tainted with malevolence, and my domain alone isn't enough to fully protect us from it."

Sorey looks to the sky. It was still early in the morning, the sun had only just started to rise when they left. "We'll be there by noon, can you manage until then?" Mikleo gives him a nod and a smile.

"Yeah."

 

Lailah is the first to greet them when they arrive in Elysia. She pulls them both into a hug, and the warmth radiating from her burns away any of traces of malevolence that was on them. She holds them for a few moments longer, squeezing them before she lets go.

"Welcome home," she says with a small smile. "Did you have a safe trip?"

"Yes," Mikleo answers. "The most trouble we had was my feeling a little sluggish from the malevolence." This statement prompts Lilah to put a hand on his forehead. "Lailah, I feel fine!"

Sorey smiles as he watches Lailah insist Mikleo rests for a short while, and that a seraph as young as he has more of a risk of malevolence tainting them than an elder seraph. He simply waves when Mikleo looks to him for help as the woman drags him off. He feels a weight on his shoulder.

"You don't have to do this, Sorey," Maotelus says, his claws digging into Sorey's shirt to keep his balance.

"I know," he answers. "But... Someone has to."

 

Sorey stares blankly ahead at the stream before him. He watches as the fish in it swim around in circles. He smiles when Mikleo sits on his other side, leaning on his arm. "Feel better?"

"Yeah," the seraphs cheeks turn pink. "Turns out Lailah was right about me needing to rest."

"She's got that mothers intuition thing going on," Sorey laughs, resting his head on Mikleo's. He watches as Mikleo extends his hand and a small stream of water rises and dances as he moves his fingers. The water moves about like a serpent almost, twisting and coiling around itself before falling back into the water with a splash. He glances at Mikleo as his hand falls into his lap.

"I wish there were a way I could stop time," he mumbles. "To keep tonight from ever coming..."

"I don't," Sorey says, causing Mikleo to pull away in order to look at him with confusion. "If you stopped time, then you wouldn't be able to live your life. You'd be stuck here in a dying world for the rest of time. You won't be able to do any of the things you want to do with your life."

"..." Mikleo looks away from him, smiling sadly. "It won't be as fun without you," he winces when something pinches his ear. "Ow--" his hand flies up to his ear and his fingers brush against something soft.

"There," Sorey grins, one of his earrings missing. "Now you can take me with you wherever you go."

Mikleo laughs for the first time in days. "You're such a dork,"

"Yeah, but I'm your dork." Sorey smiles, gazing up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set, but rather than the usual shades of orange and purple, the sky was slowly being painted red. His stomach churned. "It's almost time."

"Yeah," Mikleo tightly grips Sorey's hand. "Can we... Stay here, just a little while longer?"

"Yeah."

 

Maotelus sits alone at the edge of Elysia, staring at the pages of the open book in his lap but not reading them. He can _feel_ his seal weakening with each passing moment as the sky slowly darkens with the setting sun. He wasn't sure what would come once it finally broke, but, he was prepared for anything. He closes the book and turns his gaze to the sky as he allows his mind to wander.

It'd been ages since he's witnessed the Scarlet Night. The last one was over four hundred years ago, and that's when he retreated to the earth pulse. Sacrifices were made to him on this night, most were animals, but others offered humans, and he hated it so much. 

"That's a face I haven't seen in a while," Maotelus looks up to Eizen as he joins him on the ground.

"I can't hold a book as a dragon," he mumbles, reopening the book and flicks through the pages. "I've read it so many times in the earth pulse, I'm amazed it hasn't fallen apart." Maotelus returns it to his bag and hugs his knees. "I shouldn't have said anything about needing a vessel to Sorey. He's going to give up everything... Just so he can give this world a chance."

"Sounds like a certain Malak I used to know," Eizen comments. He looks to the boy next to him. "He knows the risks, and he's made his choice, Laphicet. If he' wants to back out, he has to come to that choice on his own."

The seraph heaves a sigh and looks away. "I know."

He hears footsteps and turns his head to see Sorey and Mikleo. Sorey gives him a small smile. Mikleo just looks away. Maotelus and Eizen rise to their feet, the former brushing the dirt off his clothes. "I'm sorry, Sorey... For having you get involved in this."

Sorey shakes his head. "Don't be. It's like Eizen said, I made my choice." he frowns as he feels Mikleo's hand slip away from his.

Maotelus frowns as his form changes back into that of a dragon. "We need to go back to the Empyrean's Throne," he says. "Just you and me."

"What?" Mikleo takes a step forward. "Wouldn't it be safer if someone goes with you?" he bites his lower lip when the dragon shakes his head.

"It'll be more dangerous. Before there was only enough malevolence to make you sick, but if you go there now then I won't be able to stop you from turning into a dragon."

"But--" 

"Mikleo," Sorey cuts him off. "It'll be okay," he gives him a warm smile. "I can go by myself."

Something tugs at Mikleo's chest, and it makes him want to cry. He chokes back tears and puts on a smile. "Right," Mikleo lightly presses his lips to Sorey's. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

 

Sorey stares up at the decaying temple, swallowing a lump in his throat. The temple grounds were painted red, the water that he and Mikleo had once played around in now looks similar to blood as it reflected the unnatural red light from the moon. It was frightening.

The fog here was thick. Thicker than it had been when they were in the forest. Dread washes over him as he and Maotelus get closer to the temple's entrance.

"I won't stop you," Maotelus says. "If you decide to leave." he was giving Sorey the chance to go home, to allow him to break their oath and live out the rest of his life.

Sorey smiles and lets out a shaky breath. "Nah, I'm not going anywhere."

Maotelus smiles. "I thought you'd say that," he extends a hand to the entrance and it opens. Sorey braces himself for the wave of the built of malevolence to crash into him, but it doesn't come. He stares wide-eyed up at the dragon before him, back to his natural size. "Let's go, Sorey."

 

The people of Elysia wait, they were the only ones aware of what was happening at this very moment. The fog that shrouds the village is thick with malevolence, the only thing that kept the Seraphim from falling to it is a fire Lailah had created with the flames of purification she had been blessed with.

Mikleo pulls his knees to his chest as he stares at the flames, leaning into Lailah's touch as she rubs his back. She presses a kiss to his head, saying something to him, but he's not listening. Zavied ruffles his hair as he sits beside Lailah, giving him a comforting smile.

Suddenly, a light flashes in the night sky and warmth spreads through the air as the fog evaporates. Lailah's fire had gone out, and the ominous chill that was in the air has become warm. Mikleo blinks and looks to the sky, seeing a pillar of white light in distance. His chest tightens.

"They've done it," Lailah says quietly. 

Mikleo grabs at the grass under his palm. "Yeah..." he breathes out. He should be happy that Sorey's sacrifice wasn't for naught. But still, he finds it hard to celebrate like the other seraphim. He quickly wipes his eyes on his sleeve. 

"Yeah, they did."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an epilogue planned, so stay tuned for that.
> 
> Thank's so much for reading, and all your support! It means the world to me!


	18. Epilouge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's epilogue time.

"Mikleo!" Lailah is the first to greet him when he enters Elysia, throwing her arms around his neck and holding him tight. "Oh, I've missed you so much!" she pulls away just enough to pepper his face with kisses. 

Mikleo laughs and hugs her back. "I've missed you too, Lailah."

Mikleo had spent the past several hundred years traveling with Eizen. He's written letters and stayed in touch, but actually being able to see and feel Lailah again... It was nice.

"You've gotten so tall!" she gushes. "And your _hair!_ "

"Do you... Like it?" Mikleo asks sheepishly. He's let it grow out, and now it was well past his waist when he wore it down.

Lailah smiles warmly. "It suits you very much." she gives him another kiss on the cheek. "Welcome home, Snowdrop."

 

Lailah guides Mikleo through the village by his arm, smiling as Mikleo tells of everything's he's seen, the people's met, the things he's done, and how he wished she had been there. His eyes twinkle with excitement at the thought of another trip once technology advances more.

"Humans are capable of so much, it's incredible!" he says. "I can't wait to see what advances they m--"

" _Ow!_ " a whine cuts him off. He looks to find a pair of Seraphim sitting to the side, a male and female. The male sits cross-legged on the ground in front of her as she combs out his long golden hair. Mikleo stares. 

He _knows_ him.

"That hurt!" he wails childishly.

"Well if you would brush it more often, I wouldn't have to pull so much to get out the knots, now would I?" she demands.

"You're so mean," the male Seraph says with a pout. This earns him a hard tug to his hair.

Before Mikleo can stop himself, he calls out to him. "Sorey...?" both of them look up at him, and his stomach flip-flops when their eyes lock together. He doesn't even notice Lailah releasing his arm and stepping away with a smile on her face.

The other Seraph is frozen almost, and it takes the woman behind him saying something and pushing him to his feet before she walks away for him to say anything; "Hi,"

Mikleo feels tears sting his eyes as he approaches him. His hands shake as he fights the urge to reach out and pull him into a tight hug. He studies his face. There's no denying it. "Do you... Are you..." his hand flies over his mouth as he struggles to find the right words.

The Seraph simply smiles. "I'm me, Mikleo. I'm back." Sorey grunts when Mikleo hugs him tight, but he quickly smiles and returns it, rubbing his back.

"You came back!" Mikleo cries into the crook of Sorey's neck. "I-I thought I'd never see you again, I--" he hiccups. "I missed you so much," he feels Sorey hold him tighter, and he lets out a startled yelp when electricity runs through him.

"Sorry!" Sorey lets him go. "I can't really control that yet." he smiles when Mikleo still clings to him. He runs a hand through his hair. "I missed you too, Mikleo."

 

An unknown amount of time passes before Mikleo finally pulls away from Sorey. "I don't understand how you're here, but... I'm glad you are." he smiles as Sorey cups his face, closing his eyes when he gently kisses him.

"I... Don't really remember much from when I was human, but that's okay because I remember you." he kisses him again.

 

They stay there for a few more moments before Sorey excitedly takes Mikleo by the hands and pulls. "Let me introduce you to my sister!"

"Your sister?" Mikleo parrots as Sorey drags him off. "Since when do you have a sister?"

"Since I woke up, of course." Sorey beams. He purses his lips into a line. "It's a little complicated, so to make a very long story short, Velvet had sealed herself away with another part of Maotelus called Innominat, and it was that seal weakening that caused the malevolence outbreak all those years ago, and when Maotelus and I fought against it, he and Innominat became one being again and after a really long time, Velvet and I emerged from the earth pulse as Seraphim," he explains without missing a beat. "That's what Maotelus told me, anway."

Mikleo blinks in amazement, listening as Sorey goes on about how this woman really isn't his sister, that he just likes to call her that, and how she's kind of scary at first but nice once you get to know her. "Alright," he says after a moment. Honestly, he doesn't care how Sorey came back. He was just happy he did, and that he didn't wake up alone. "How long ago was that?"

"About three hundred years ago, I think--" he's forced to a halt when Mikleo digs his heels into the dirt. "What?"

"You've been here... For _three hundred_ years, and you didn't contact me?" he demands. "Why?"

"Because, Lailah told me you were out exploring with Eizen and I knew if I did you'd come back right away..." Sorey answers, looking like a child who had just gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I just wanted you to enjoy yourself."

Mikleo opens his mouth to say something, but, how can he be mad at that? He smiles fondly. "You're such a dork, Sorey." 

"But I'm your dork!" he grins. "...Right?"

"Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and all of your support! c: this was a pretty self-indulgent fic, but it was fun to write (save for a few chapters), and I'm glad that so many people liked it.
> 
> About the Epilogue; Seraph!Sorey is a really fun concept for me (and I couldn't just leave Meebo all sad and lonely forever), and I wanted so bad to have Velvet in this fic at one point, so I figured, why not Seraph!Velvet? I haven't seen anyone really discuss it before, so I thought I'd give it a little nod here.
> 
> Thanks again for reading! I love you all <3

**Author's Note:**

> Me: I'm gonna work on some personal stuff  
> Me @ Me: Write another AU
> 
> Ahaha, well. MMm I hope you guys like this new au of mine. I'll be adding more tag as I go along because the tag may spoil things.
> 
> We're off to an agnsty start though.


End file.
